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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27373825">The Fire Lord's Bride</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unoriginalpoet/pseuds/Unoriginalpoet'>Unoriginalpoet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Drama &amp; Romance, Eventual Kataang, F/M, Kataang - Freeform, Mild Smut, Some Action, Zutara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:40:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>25,728</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27373825</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unoriginalpoet/pseuds/Unoriginalpoet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>[Slightly AU] </p><p>Sokka left to journey the world after he and his father found the avatar in the iceberg, and Katara finds fate might just be a cruel mistress when it lands her engaged to Zuko, the soon to be Fire Lord, and it's not by choice... but then again, fate has an interesting way of playing out so, maybe she's wrong?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Bride To Be</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>In a slightly AU world where only Sokka left with Aang on his bending adventure, Katara never became friends with him, and instead of saving the world, she's engaged to Zuko. Considering the setting, rating is for safety!</p><p>Eventual Kataang with some Zutara trickled in so I hope you guys enjoy this!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko sighed as he rubbed his temples and carefully closed the door behind him. He glanced to his right and to his left, taking note that the hallway he had just entered was rather quiet, though he didn't mind as the stillness had somewhat of a calming effect at the pain he felt creeping over his brows.</p>
<p>It was getting late, the hall only being lit by the strategically placed torches along the wall, and the other council members had left nearly an hour ago after the end of their meeting with the Fire Lord, one of many that day much to his exhaustion. He was no stranger to the long, and usually grueling meetings that were hosted in the palace council room since being the heir to the throne pretty much subjects one to all the dealings of the Fire Nation, whether they seem relevant or not. But he had a fairly early start that morning, and the long day only served as a persistent reminder to the warm bed that sat waiting for him in his room.</p>
<p>With the prospect of sweet sleep back to the forefront of his mind, he turned and began walking down the hallway towards the eastern wing of the palace where the sleeping quarters were, his thoughts slowly wandering as the echo of his steady footsteps filled the air.</p>
<p>Despite being the heir to such a powerful nation, there was a deep seeded feeling of disrepute that he couldn't shake off. He was the only son born to Ozai and Ursa so naturally it was a given that he would be next in line for the throne, but yet this privileged position didn't make his childhood any easier as it was the source of this unsettling feeling, the constant reminder to this fact being his younger sister, Azula.</p>
<p>She was the perfect child from birth, and he wasn't, and it was something he resented about her. From a young age she proved more capable than him, from mastering the next fire bending technique to scoring higher on their private tutoring exams, and while his mother tried her best to convince him otherwise, he never could get over the inferiority complex his sister instilled into him.</p>
<p>It didn't help that she possessed the one thing he craved, and that was something no amount of comforting from his mother could soothe. She held their father's affection, and the man never spared the opportunity to remind Zuko of it.</p>
<p>As a result of this disconnect, he did everything he could to impress his father and hoped to one day see the same love that the Fire Lord held for his sister be cast towards him for a change. Many of his attempts only led to misery though, as he often came under rebuke for them, and the worst of the lot leaving a permanent reminder on his face of the reality that maybe he was just born for a life of strife after all.</p>
<p>Looking back at his childhood now, he only wishes he could tell his younger self of the things that had yet to come, that would leave a scar worse than the red singe around his left eye. From the only person who ever truly loved him vanishing in the night, to hearing his father say it would've been better had he been the one to disappear so that his sister could be instituted as the next ruler of the nation. It was only made worse by the threat almost coming to fruition until Azula mentally cracked under the power that would be bestowed to her, and had to be taken away to an insane asylum by the avatar himself after a very fiery ordeal, though Zuko knew the idea still lingered in his father's mind from the attention he placed into the facility and correcting his daughter's mental degradation despite it being under the guise of saving honor to the family.</p>
<p>The thought caused him to stop walking and his gaze casted downward. "What even is honor?" He cynically muttered to himself. The word left a bad taste in his mouth.</p>
<p>Reeling his mind back to the present, he looked to his side and observed the large door to his room and hesitated, his hand hovering over the elaborate gold handle that would open the only thing stopping him from passing out on the bed that lay in wait for him on the other side. The pain over his brow burned its presence into his skull and the fire bender turned the handle without another pause.</p>
<p>"AHHHHHH—GET OUT!"</p>
<p>All he saw was a flash of blue before he found himself staring at his door once more, one that had just been slammed with a ferocity in his face while the one responsible shrieked in horror at his presence. The sensation returned to his brow with a vengeance and he scowled at the pain as his hand went back to the handle once more and turned it again.</p>
<p>He wasn't in the mood for this.</p>
<p>This time there was no shriek and no door slamming back into his face, much to his relief, as he entered into his room and not so quietly closed it behind him, vaguely noticing the room was void of any life it seemed. "It's pretty rude to slam the door in someone's face you know!" He snapped in annoyance, though only silence met him, and he shook it off.</p>
<p>He debated momentarily whether or not to even change out of his clothes as he eyed the big bed in front of him, its crimson silky sheets calling his name like a temptress, and at another intense flush of pain in his temple, he closed the gap between him and what he had longed for that day and let his body go limp onto the bed, the sweet relief almost bringing a pleased moan from him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Almost.</em>
</p>
<p>Instead, a feminine voice cut his pleasure short as it carried through the air from his bathroom, and his brows instinctively scrunched together. "How many times do I have to tell you to knock first?! Honestly, it's like you don't understand the concept of privacy!"</p>
<p>She was noticeably upset. Zuko didn't have to see her face nor even hear her for that matter to know since this was a conversation, or rather argument, they've shared for the last month now since their engagement had been announced. Though walking in on her like that wasn't exactly commonplace for him, he didn't really see why it mattered considering they slept in the same room, heck the same bed for that matter, and they were about to be married soon.</p>
<p>He closed his eyes and decided to ignore her, pointedly deciding that the migraine deserved more attention at the moment than her. Most times it worked for him to take this approach.</p>
<p>He knew she was ill-tempered, becoming more convinced as the days drew on that she had an even shorter fuse than he did, and while normally he would have simply taken an extra walk around the palace to give her whatever space she needed, he was determined to pass out on his own bed rather than be found in the morning slumped up against one of the palace walls. He could feel his nerves knotting over of what the consequences would be if someone actually did find him like that, the heir to the Fire Lord stuck sleeping out on the stone floor of his palace because the woman that he was engaged to kicked him out of his own room. He could hear the whispers already circulating at it; as if he didn't need another reason for people to suspect his inadequacy for the throne. Let alone what his father would say if he caught wind that his only son couldn't even handle a water tribe peasant.</p>
<p>The sound of her shuffling into the room caught his attention, and he took a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever barrage she would throw at him.</p>
<p>"Nice try, but ignoring me isn't going to work this time Zuko, or have you forgotten already that I sleep in this room too?"</p>
<p>Realizing the prospect of an early night might be a lost cause at her tone, he sat up on the edge of the bed, a grunt escaping his lips as the action caused a seer of pain into his temple, and he quickly placed a hand up to the area to massage it.</p>
<p>"I think you are the one who seems to have forgotten that this was my room before you came along," He spoke coldly, keeping his eyes closed so that the dim light from the fire lanterns placed around the room didn't agitate his migraine even more.</p>
<p>She snorted rather derisively, and he could feel his eye twitch. "I would rather have kept it that way personally, but my opinion hasn't been part of any of this so, I guess that's where we are now, isn't it?" He slipped his hand further over his face as he slowly pulled it down to his chin, debating the idea of actually just sleeping outside for a split second, and peered over at her with a cock of his head, not at all surprised to see her staring him down from the bottom of the bed with her arms crossed and a heated look on her face.</p>
<p>Not that this arrangement had necessarily been his idea, or even what he thought his engagement would be like when he finally did marry, and while he wasn't too keen on sharing his room with her either, he sometimes found himself not hating it too much on the few occasions he saw her in only the soft glow the lanterns provided. Even he couldn't deny how beautiful she was from her perfectly tanned skin to her prismatic crystal blue eyes that looked back at him, and the dimmed setting never was shy at hugging her curves he would admit unabashedly, but yet, as the pain in his brow reminded him, now was <em>not</em> the time.</p>
<p>Figuring since he was still awake at this point, he got off the bed and began his trek to the bathroom to change. "Neither has mine, but you don't see me complaining about it. Besides, I don't see why it matters," He flippantly threw over his shoulder as he passed her. "It's just a room and it's just a bed. It's not like we've come close to having sex or anything—" He paused at the doorway of the bathroom and looked back at her with raised eyebrows "—unless you want to."</p>
<p>Of course, he was only joking as the only thing he wanted to sleep with at that moment was with the wily temptress already waiting to envelope him under her covers, but he found over the last few weeks that it was sometimes more fun to tease his fiancé rather than engage in an angry banter with her. Her reaction was just what he anticipated as a blush grazed her cheeks, a rosy tint that he noticed only made her look more desirable, and an amused smirk found its way onto his mouth, giving him some temporary distraction to the pain that was ever building in his head.</p>
<p>He turned into the room and lost sight of her, though he could still imagine what type of face she was making as he heard her voice echo into the bathroom: "Please, like you said, we may have to share the same bed, but that doesn't mean we have to touch each other.."</p>
<p>'<em>Yet</em>'</p>
<p>She didn't have to say it, but he knew it was there.</p>
<p>He sighed as he took off his robe and opted for just pants that night, feeling a little too warm now and enjoying the cool air on his bare chest. It was a little frustrating to say the least for him. Of all the nations and eligible women, he was paired with one who had strict premarital rules when it came to engaged couples, and that meant no sex before they were officially married… among other things.</p>
<p>The only reason that she was even sharing the room with him was because it was an insistence by his father to hers that it was part of the Fire Nation's premarital customs for the engaged couple to share the same sleeping quarters, and that it could be negatively misinterpreted if it were known that they were in separate rooms. Especially for the royal family, it was a crucial step that had to be taken so there was no ambiguity as to the father when the children started to arrive; a sort of safeguard for their lineage that would keep any conspirators at bay should questions arise when it was time to pass the throne along to the next heir.</p>
<p>Hakoda hadn't been too thrilled about it, but he agreed, nonetheless, on the condition that nothing was to happen until after the ceremony. If the meeting hadn't been so serious between the four of them then the older man's reservations would've caused Zuko to laugh when he presented them considering his prior knowledge of Katara, knowledge that did not fail to prove him right that even if that were not their tribal customs, she still would bite his head off should he even brush his leg against her during the night. It wasn't exactly like they were friends, but they definitely knew each other enough to know it was going to be a bumpy ride.</p>
<p>After slipping out of his former clothes, Zuko entered back into the bedroom and noticed Katara still standing in the same spot with a rather sullen look on her face as she gripped one arm with the opposite hand, her anger having tempered off in his absence. He let out another sigh and rubbed the side of his face somewhat awkwardly, feeling a little bad now knowing that his comment probably struck a sensitive nerve in her.</p>
<p>"Look," He started cautiously, his voice catching her attention as she glanced up at him and he caught the light blush that tinted her cheeks. "I know this isn't exactly what either of us expected—"</p>
<p>Almost immediately her eyes rolled. "Oh really? Because ever since <em>I</em> was a girl I always dreamed of being forced into an arranged marriage." Her interjection was caustically as it held the pain he remembered seeing in her the day she moved in, but he glanced away as he narrowed his eyes, overlooking it.</p>
<p>"—<em>but</em> it's not like there's much that can be done," He finished levelly, though his annoyance was piqued a little. It's not like he was trying to be insensitive to her feelings, he had done nothing but try to consider her ever since the engagement was revealed to both of them, but with only two more months until his coronation, it wasn't like they had much time to become well acquainted with one another, much less like each other.</p>
<p>He glanced back at her when she didn't respond and took her glazed look as a sign that maybe she wasn't going to. That's about as far as they got when it came to their situation these days, they'd argue until it was brought up once again the reality that the choice wasn't theirs, and it had already been made for them.</p>
<p>It had been about five months now since Hakoda showed up at the Fire Nation's palace, a visit that revealed the chief's apprehension with the Earth Kingdom and the possibility of war between them increasing as the weeks passed. The Southern Water Tribe had a salvaged relationship with its sister tribe in the North Pole, but he feared even with their collective power that it wouldn't be enough to protect them should King Kuei advance his military fleet on the mostly icy terrain they inhabited, the snowy dunes only hiding the massive forms of earth that lay beneath their feet, proving an equitable battlefield.</p>
<p>The Fire Lord wasn't known for being the most generous leader of the nations, and the chief showed an inkling of desperation by even petitioning him knowing he was at the disadvantage, but even to Zuko's surprise, his father graciously offered protection to the water tribe should the time arise that it was needed. Not so surprisingly, his father wanted a guarantee in return that the tribes wouldn't turn on him, and that is where Katara came into play.</p>
<p>At the thought of her, Zuko turned his gaze back over and studied her face. She hadn't moved and her stare was planted to the side, away from him, with an expression that was hard to read. The silence that surrounded them after he spoke moments ago was starting to feel a little too heavy for his liking, and he felt the urge to say something to her.</p>
<p>Without thinking, he let his musing conclusion slip his tongue.</p>
<p>"It's just business," He said, his eyes widening slightly after realizing the words that escaped him, but knowing it was too late. Her eyes darted back to him with an intensity that almost made him flinch, and he watched her otherwise unreadable expression turn dark.</p>
<p>"Maybe for you it is," She scathed, her eyes narrowing in on him. "But it's not for me."</p>
<p>With that she pivoted around and was gone, slamming the bedroom door behind her as she vanished into the hallway. He stared after her for a moment before slapping a hand to his forehead.</p>
<p>"Why did I just say that? That was so stupid," He growled regretfully, pulling his hand down over his face. Even though it was the truth, he knew she wouldn't take it well, and that sensible part of his brain seemed to have fled into the back of his thoughts as the charged words came out.</p>
<p>With a deep breath, he debated going after her. He knew she'd probably just chew him out like Mai had done, the memory of his last conversation with the noblewoman and how it ended coming to mind, and it was about the time of night that the servants were heading back to their own sleeping quarters as their duties finished shortly before midnight.</p>
<p>The reoccurring pain he had forgotten about in his brow forced his contemplation to a standstill, and he ultimately decided against following her. A scowl slowly crept over his face as his thoughts refused to let go of Mai, and he inched back onto his bed. "At least Mai wasn't this hard to handle," He grumbled to himself.</p>
<p>With that he extinguished the fire from the lanterns in the room, and a darkness quickly overtook him as he finally laid down and put his eyes to rest. Any concern over the girl who had just left his room was gone after his mind traced the memories of his first love and lulled him into a bittersweet sleep.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Does this whole thing really not bother him?!" Katara muttered to herself, fuming as she aimlessly walked down the hall. Her eyes narrowed at nothing in particular. "What the heck is wrong with that stupid head of his, I swear it's like he is happy with this sometimes—" She stopped with her hands clenched into fists "—and that comment about sleeping with him? ARGH! I could've bended some water right there and smacked him into oblivion just for that!"</p>
<p>To say that she was unhappy at the thought of marrying the prince of the Fire Nation was an understatement. It caused a searing knot in her stomach at the idea and it took everything in her not to sprint out any open door she came across if it meant escaping the life that her father had signed away for her.</p>
<p>Her and Zuko never had the best relationship—not that she had a good relationship with anyone of the Fire Nation— but he just happened to know how to work her buttons to the point of frustration. It was hard to look past his background as well, given that she'd lost her mother to a Southern Raiders fleet. It was a day that burned its mark in her memory, and ever since, she's never trusted nor cared for anyone who identified with them. She was grateful for her father and brother though as they pulled her through the tough years that followed it, something no six-year-old should have had to endure, but even that changed when her fifteenth birthday rolled around.</p>
<p>One night they received word that one of their ships had gone down in the southern seas, and the crew was stranded. Her father and brother left immediately to go look for them, but instead of an exhausted crew, they returned with the avatar. It was strange because no one knew where the tip came from about the ship, and considering the lateness in which it arrived, no one really questioned it at the time as the need to rescue them was pertinent to their survival, but they had been out for a week before stumbling across the airbender in an iceberg and never found any sign of wreckage.</p>
<p>Katara realized just days into their rescue mission how hard it was to be apart from the two men in her life after losing her mother, and it was almost like a sick joke from fate to her when her brother, Sokka, announced his decision to journey with the avatar as the young bender sought out masters of water, fire, and earth to learn bending from. She couldn't help the resentment she felt towards him even if he was the avatar, and the constant chores of the women in their village never afforded her much time to really get to know him, let alone talk to him. Even if she had, it probably wouldn't have changed her feelings much as the only thing that could have remedied it was if she went with them, but her father quickly shut that dream down.</p>
<p><em>It wasn't her destiny</em>. That's what her Gran-Gran told her many times as if knowing that would ease the pain of her brother leaving.</p>
<p>It didn't.</p>
<p>He managed a few visits home, much to her relief, but they never seemed to last long, and time was always against them as the stories he told could have kept him going for weeks, not that she would have minded it. His last visit that year came just short of her sixteenth birthday, and it pained her to say goodbye to him so soon because if there was a time she wished he would've been there to comfort her, it was after she left her father's tent under that gibbous moon.</p>
<p>Katara instinctively reached for her neck and clutched the precious pendant that hung from her mother's necklace, the coolness of the medal quickly expelling once the warmth of her hand enveloped it, and she took a deep breath as the memory of the previous year flooded her thoughts.</p>
<p>Just a week after coming of age, she found out she was engaged to a man from the Northern Water Tribe, and another week later, she was at the North Pole and sleeping in a foreign room. Arranged marriages were a custom for the water tribes, her grandmother and her mother were both given in marriage to men chosen for them and Katara knew she would be no different so, the news of her engagement came as no surprise to her. Rather, it served to instill a bitterness inside of her towards whatever destiny her grandmother insisted was hers.</p>
<p>Her thoughts scattered as the sound of giggling caught her attention, and she looked ahead to see two female servants, presumably around her age by their youthful faces, walking towards her. Realizing that they were eyeing her and that she was just standing in the middle of the hallway with a murderous look on her face, she straightened up and tried to shake it off before walking past them.</p>
<p>"<em>Is that her?</em>"</p>
<p>"<em>I wonder what she is doing out here. If it were me, I'd never leave Prince Zuko's room.</em>"</p>
<p>"<em>Right? She is so lucky!</em>"</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes, hearing the whispers they exchanged between them as they failed miserably at keeping their words hushed.</p>
<p>"Doesn't anybody know how to mind their own business around here?" She muttered to herself after they were gone. The palace was crawling with young servants like them and it annoyed her every time she caught wind of their conversations because they were all the same, and they were all about her. Whether the girls were jealous of her engagement to the prince or envious of it, it made her skin crawl and she had to bite her lower lip to keep from freezing their mouths over.</p>
<p>For all she cared, they could have him.</p>
<p>Her first meetings with Zuko were cordial enough when Sokka brought him with on his visits home, as he revealed that the fire bender was willing to teach the avatar firebending and had joined their triage, but things didn't stay pleasant between them. One of the perks to living at the North Pole was that it held a master waterbender and so the avatar ended up there shortly after her arrival to train with him, giving her some much needed brother-sister hang outs. But with them also came Zuko, who Katara learned quickly, had a temper nearly as bad as her own as sparks began flying between them. And <em>not</em> the good kind.</p>
<p>After everything that had happened since she'd seen them, she was no longer in an accepting mood of the fire nation prince and wasn't afraid to let him know. Much was the reason why she nearly blew a cap when her father not only ended her engagement months later, but then re-engaged her to the very man she couldn't stand.</p>
<p>At the thought she stopped and looked ahead, taking notice of one of the many torches that lined the hallway. A feeling of mockery tangled itself in her chest as she watched the flame dance whimsically upon its stick, and the soft glow it emitted only being enough to light the space around her, but teasing her with a warmth it couldn't provide.</p>
<p>She hated fire. It was something that only served to burn and destroy what was near it and it showed no favor to anyone.</p>
<p>With a growl, she grabbed it out of its iron holster and threw it out one of the window openings next to her with as much strength as she could muster, watching as it sailed through the small courtyard area. The smoke trail it painted across the night sky was satisfying, but... Her eyes widened, and she cursed under her breath when it landed on a small tree that covered a bench in the middle of the quaint spot and the leaves immediately erupted into a fiery blaze.</p>
<p>Quickly bending the water from the fountain in front of it, she moved it over the tree and released it, sufficiently soaking the tree and taming the fire, and then, just as quickly, moved out of line of the window. A couple of urgent murmurs echoed from the courtyard floor, and then, it was silent. With a relieved breath, she exhaled once she was convinced the guards had dispelled, and carefully peered out the window to confirm it before settling back against the sill with an exasperated sigh.</p>
<p>A soft breeze cooled her hot skin as it glided over her, and helped to simmer the anger somewhat as she stared out into the night sky. It was dark and she couldn't see many stars thanks to the smog that seemed to be covering more and more of the air in the last week, apparently the result of the Fire Lord's newest project according to Zuko, but curiously the moon was in plain view as it hung high in the darkness.</p>
<p>"Maybe if you hadn't become the moon, Yue, I wouldn't be here now," She sighed ruefully. Yue was the only other daughter born to nobility within the two sister tribes and would have been the one to take her spot presumably had things been different, but an instance with the avatar after his training led to her ascension with the moon and that left Katara as the only option when the tribes collaborated their alliance with the Fire Nation, as if fate hadn't already taken enough enjoyment from her life.</p>
<p>She stayed at the window for a few more minutes as the silence worked to ease her emotions to a more resolved state before half-heartedly pulling herself away and walking back to the room she stormed out of. To her relief the only light that flooded into it was from the two large windows that paralleled the bed, giving her enough of a glow to not ram right into the bedpost but not enough that she could really notice where she was, and she paused once she could make out Zuko's still silhouette under the covers.</p>
<p>The image of his shirtless appearance from earlier flashed in her mind and she fought the slight heat that threatened to creep up her neck at the memory. With a deep breath, she pulled her robe tightly across her body, and as quietly and lightly as she could, she slipped into the spot next to him, keeping her back to him as she settled onto her side with a heavy-lidded gaze faced forward. Her legs slowly moved in tighter towards her chest and she could feel the call of sleep coming as she closed her eyes, silently wishing that maybe tomorrow wouldn't come.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Avatar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Prince Zuko, there you are!"</p>
<p>Zuko turned to meet the servant that approached him hastily, and he eyed him expectantly among the golden lilies that littered the courtyard. Lately with the announcement of his coronation it seemed there was always something that needed his attention, or someone that wanted it, and he never got much time to himself anymore. So, with slightly jostled nerves from the night before, he made a quick escape for the beautiful courtyard in the early morning hours, enjoying it's calming affect however short-lived it had now become.</p>
<p>The older gentleman stopped just short of him, maintaining his composure despite the small wheeze in his voice as he said, "Sir, your father has called for an immediate meeting in the council room, and he is awaiting your presence there to begin."</p>
<p>Zuko simply nodded in understanding and followed the servant, fighting back a scowl at the thought of returning to the stuffy room that occupied most of his time yesterday. While apprehension should have been his first reaction to the sudden interruption given that his father hadn't called an urgent meeting since his sister went insane, he couldn't help the swell of annoyance that began to build as they walked down the long hallway. The bright light of the day soon disappeared along with the windows, and he mused what could be of such pertinence that no one spoke a word of it to him until now.</p>
<p>His mind drew up nothing as they found themselves at the entrance of the council room, the ornate doors looming over the two men with an air of superiority, and the servant opened one of them with a respectful bow to the prince. Zuko gave him a slight nod before entering into the room, but he nearly doubled back under the immediate stares he received from the men who sat at a long table in the middle of it, the air being eerily heavy as if they were holding their breath.</p>
<p>Ozai sat at the head of it, his body poised authoritatively as he turned to give his son a muted glance, his voice carrying some of the same feelings of disdain Zuko saw in it as the man remarked, "It's not very slightly for the future Fire Lord to be late to a critical discussion. I hope you won't make a habit of it, <em>Prince Zuko</em>."</p>
<p>Zuko clenched his jaw after noticing the grave look on his father's face and tried to keep the indignation out of his voice as he replied, "I apologize father, I was not aware that a meeting was called and I came as soon as I was alerted by one of the servants. It will not happen again."</p>
<p>He gave a bow out of respect and swiftly took his seat across from the Fire Lord, trying discreetly to observe the rest of the council as he did so. It took some restraint to keep his mouth shut after his apology, one that he felt wasn't rightfully needed given that it was not his fault no one cared to inform him of the urgent matter, but he knew that his father would not tolerate anything less and secretly braced himself should the older man latch on to his ill-informed arrival.</p>
<p>Whether Ozai did not care to continue his scolding, or the matter at hand was more important than Zuko realized, Ozai did not address him any further as he looked back to the council, turning his attention to the subject of their meeting.</p>
<p>"Councilman Lee, it was by word from the Northern Water Tribe that we have been called together so relay the information from Chief Arnook," He commanded without another hesitation. The man in question, Tou Lee, nodded and stood as everyone's gaze turned to him expectantly. Hearing that one of the water tribes was the reason for their meeting caught Zuko's attention unexpectedly, and he leaned imperceptibly closer to the table.</p>
<p>"Yes sir. The letter reported that a messenger pigeon from the Earth Kingdom was received two moons ago by the Northern tribe, and it held details of an undercover operation the king is running within its capital city of Ba Sing Se. Unfortunately, that letter only contained enough information to give some insight that King Kuei is harvesting iron and various other metals in large loads to the city. Arnook's letter also stated that Chief Hakoda of the Southern tribe received a carrier pigeon as well, though it was mentioned to be empty when it arrived," Tou explained before turning his words more towards Ozai.</p>
<p>"It was last reported that Chief Hakoda was on his way to the North Pole to discuss options between the tribes, but Chief Arnook has made it clear that he does not believe the intentions of King Kuei to be innocent and wants confirmation of what the Fire Nation's plans are should we see the Earth Kingdom make any advances towards the water tribes—" He paused a moment in thought before adding, with a touch more caution to his otherwise level voice "—if I do say so sir, it seems to me that stepping in earlier than is needed may be best warranting that if the king is really planning a big siege then it would be imperative to stop it sooner rather than at the foothold of the North Pole."</p>
<p>The dead silence that followed lasted but a moment before the golden ring that shaped the boxy room lit up in a fiery blaze suddenly, and Tou widened his eyes at the scowl that came over Ozai's face after he finished speaking, the air abruptly becoming heavier in the room as it warmed in response to the glow of the fire.</p>
<p>"Lee.." The man started disturbingly calm as he shifted his gaze to the spark of flame he lit on the tip of his finger. "What was it that I asked of you?"</p>
<p>The councilman glanced around in a moment of confusion and slight panic, his nervousness only gaining momentum by the uneasy stares he was getting by his fellow councilmen and the prince, and continued with much more apprehension in his voice this time. "I—uh—You asked that the information received by Chief Arnook be reported to the table, s-sir—AH!"</p>
<p>Before he could barely get all the words out of his mouth, the Fire Lord turned to him in a flash and hurled a small fire ball straight at him, launching the poor man out of his seat and behind it to evade the sudden attack. The rest of the table gasped in shock and reflexively moved away from the council member before they too were singed, the only one to remain planted being the prince that just looked on at the scene in antipathy.</p>
<p>"Very good," Ozai's sardonically commended him before he frowned. "Then, since you are so intelligent, inform me as to why you thought I requested your own opinion along with it."</p>
<p>"Well—I—um.." Tou was at a loss for words as he fumbled them out, feeling stressed that if his answer wasn't satisfactory then it would be him burning instead of the seat next to him. He swallowed hard at the sight of it.</p>
<p>Zuko could feel his anger starting to boil, and he quickly interjected on the man's behalf. "Father, that is their <em>job</em>. They come to these meetings to help consult on appropriate action when it is needed." He felt somewhat ridiculous pointing out the obvious since he knew his father knew this, but he couldn't understand what the man was after in his heat of the moment onslaught.</p>
<p>Ozai narrowed his eyes at his son, and his frown deepened. "Their job is to provide consultation when, and <em>if</em>, it is requested by <em>me</em>," He spoke darkly before addressing the rest of the council present, nearly all of them trembling to a degree in their seats as they tried to retain their composure. "Unfortunately it seems that everyone here misinterpreted your coronation announcement as my resignation, and it is my job right now to remind those sitting here that until my last breath I will be addressed, and respected, in a manner befitting to a Fire Lord, and will spare no action to make sure that my respect is held. Even if my successor lacks the strong ruling of a Fire Lord, and you treat him in such a way, I will not stand for it as long as I am still ruling this nation."</p>
<p>Thick, bated silence laced the smoke in the room before an instantaneous chorus of shaken apologies came from the men around the table, all of them bowing before taking their seats once more once Ozai was sated. Zuko only gritted his teeth to hold his tongue. As mad as he was, his father's words only served to remind him of the disrepute that burned in the back of his mind, and it dissuaded any comeback. Ozai seemed pleased enough with the intended response as he put out the fire that lined the room.</p>
<p>"With that settled," He began, his tone reverting to the command in which he had spoken in prior. "I think it would be interesting to hear how the future Fire Lord would handle this—" His tone shifted as he met Zuko's eye "—would it be in the best interest of the Fire Nation to proceed as Lee said?"</p>
<p>Zuko caught the smirk on his father's face and eyed the man precariously for a moment. His father had asked for his input enough times in the past, but never on an issue this demanding, nor in such a way that makes it seem he is taking some sort of sadistic pleasure in it, and it made the young man feel the heat rise once more as he tried to keep his posture.</p>
<p>But, nevertheless, he nodded his head compliantly, not taking the bait of the older man for an angry outburst like he had done in the past, and spoke with an impressive level of authority in his voice. '<em>I guess these past few weeks with Katara are starting to pay off,</em>' He absentmindedly thought to himself.</p>
<p>"I would disagree with councilman Lee. Based upon the little information we have, sending a fleet into the Earth Kingdom, and potentially giving rise to a war, would be a rather ignorant plan of action. As far as we know the king is simply importing goods into his capital and there is no other evidence that suggests he is using it nefariously. I understand the water tribes have expressed concern over him, but by waging war on one piece of parchment, we could, in effect, be putting many lives at risk based solely on a presumptuous claim." He paused and turned to Lee. "Who exactly sent the message regarding the Earth King's activities?"</p>
<p>"According to Chief Arnook, it came from two spies they've had stationed near the inner ring of Ba Sing Se for the last year."</p>
<p>Zuko raised an eyebrow at him as he pressed further. "Then it seems trivial that we're having such an urgent discussion about this seeing as though we can continue collecting intel that will solidify the chief's suspicion instead of jumping the fire for negotiations of war."</p>
<p>Tou Lee frowned. "Nothing has since been received from them, and the carrier pigeon has returned exhausted, leading everyone to believe that the two were compromised and taken captive by the king's elite force, the Dai Li."</p>
<p>Zuko hummed disappointingly before turning his gaze back in front of him, casting it more towards the table than to his father as he took the moment to muse.</p>
<p>He had been to the Earth Kingdom with the avatar some time ago, and knew of the Dai Li well since they had the misfortune of running into them on a couple of occasions while in the capital city, and he had some semblance of the king's notably pretentious persona, given that he was the only ruler that Zuko knew of who was not a bender. But, still.. something seemed to be missing. It still seemed rash to him to take any offensive stance towards the formidable kingdom, but should they actually be using the metals to devise contraptions for war then it would mean that action must be taken sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>He became so engrossed in his thoughts that he almost missed his father's voice when the older man spoke up in wake of his silence.</p>
<p>"With as much time as you spend thinking, it may be wise to start learning." It was a neutral remark, void of any emotion, but with it Ozai took the attention off of Zuko and back onto himself as he commandeered the rest of the meeting. The young prince opted to withhold his own conclusions of the matter by letting him. Something seemed off about the situation, and he decided that silence, for now, may be best.</p>
<p>He half-heartedly listened as the hour drew on, piping in a response or two as the time saw fit, and soon enough his father adjourned them after reaching a complacent spot in which to reply to the chief of the North Pole. Though he was more than ready to leave, Zuko still courteously offered for the council to leave first out of the room and they happily obliged with Lee leading them out, visibly shaken still from the ordeal at the start of their meeting.</p>
<p>After watching them exit, the prince made for the door as well.</p>
<p>"I was being serious, Prince Zuko."</p>
<p>At the sound of his father's voice, Zuko halted and turned back to him with a guarded curiosity.</p>
<p>Ozai continued without a glance towards him as the Fire Lord peered at some of the parchment in front of him. "While this situation is rather unexpected and provoking, I realize soon enough I will be handing this nation over to you, and that I cannot expect to deal with these matters as privately as I used to. This is your chance to prove to me that you <em>are</em> capable."</p>
<p>Zuko's eyes widened as he simply stared at the man before him. The statement was strangely vulnerable, and to anyone looking in on it, it wouldn't have seemed like much. But, he knew his father rarely showed this kind of softness to his tone, and moreover, it was even rarer that it was ever directed towards him. It caught him off guard to say the least, and his mouth dropped open slightly as if to respond, but his voice was lost in his throat.</p>
<p>He wanted to savor it, but the internal conflict of his emotions kept him from doing so. It was nice, but yet there was a small part of him that kept its reservations about the sudden behavior change. Perhaps it was from the years of perpetual disdain his father showed him, or the inherent mistrust that snuck its way into Zuko's heart after his mother left, but he solemnly took Ozai's words in and gave a deep bow.</p>
<p>"Don't worry father, I will see to it that all essential aid is given where needed." He stopped and contemplated his words before adding resolutely, "I will not fail you."</p>
<p>"I expect you won't," Ozai responded, his tone unexpectedly harsher than before as it served more as a warning to his son than a reassurance. "Because if you do then you will have brought dishonor to our family and to your next heir."</p>
<p>Zuko clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes as his father finally glanced over at him, an intense look set upon his face, and the prince could have sworn he saw a slight upturn to the corner of his mouth, though, it was gone as quickly as it came. Zuko gave him an acknowledging nod before turning on his heel for the door.</p>
<p>"I know how much you rely on the input of others when making decisions—" Ozai's voice once again caused him to halt, though this time he didn't turn back around "—so, I took the liberty and invited the Avatar to the palace. He should be here sometime after midday so I hope you will see to it that he is welcomed."</p>
<p><em>'At least something good came of this meeting,'</em> Zuko thought to himself, giving Lee's burnt chair a sideways glance before leaving.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Nothing.</p>
<p>"Where is he?" Zuko wondered aloud as he searched the cloudless sky. It was officially three hours past midday and there was still no sign of the avatar anywhere. He put a hand up to shield his eyes from the unforgiving beam of the sun, squinting them as if to see better, and he scoured the air around the courtyard once more to remove any doubt that maybe he hadn't missed the gigantic furry beast the kid rode around on.</p>
<p>Realizing his eagerness to see his friend wouldn't produce the boy in front of him, he dropped his hand with a sigh and sat down on one of the benches that were scattered in the garden around him.</p>
<p>It was the largest of the three, extending more lengthwise than width, and it was the one he used to frequent with his mother when he was young. It was the only space large enough for the sky bison to land comfortably. Comprised mostly of grass, it did have a quaint area off to the side with a pond and a beautiful tree that leaned towards the water, and from where the fire bender sat, it gave him the perfect view of it.</p>
<p>A half-smile found its way onto his face as he took the sight in, but the stillness of the air didn't last long as his attention was called back to the sky with the distinct grumble of a roar that echoed through the halls. His smile widened instantly, and he squinted his eyes to see the familiar tuft of white coming in for a landing. He stood as the bison landed gently on the ground, a rather impressive feat considering his size, and he waved to the young man that sat on his head.</p>
<p>"Aang, it's good to see you again!" Zuko called coolly, though his grin rivaled the avatars as the boy used a spurt of air to propel himself off the bison's head and cushion his landing onto the ground. Aang quickly closed the distance between them and gave him a quick, but friendly embrace.</p>
<p>"It's nice to see you too, Zuko," He beamed before letting go of the prince abruptly as he stepped back, and gave him an almost frightened look. He quickly bowed and continued in a deadpanned voice: "I'm sorry, <em>soon to be Fire Lord</em>, Prince Zuko."</p>
<p>Zuko chuckled as the airbender cracked one eye up to him, a playful smile finding its way onto Aang's face. "Please, if you start bringing the formalities back then I'll have to start calling you Avatar Aang or something—" He reached out and tapped the airbender's bald head for emphasis "—and I don't want to make your head any bigger than it already is. I think I might blind half of the Fire Nation with that reflector of yours."</p>
<p>Aang raised his eyebrows with a feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about, as a monk I've been trained not to take pleasure in embellished titles or make it a practice to be prideful in one's self." The airbender spoke sagely with a finger held in front of him and Zuko rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>"You do know that <em>lying</em> isn't allowed either, right?"</p>
<p>Aang's eyes widened, asking in mock offense, "Who said I was lying?" before shrugging and cracking a mischievous smile. "I said I was <em>trained</em>; never said anything about putting it into practice <em>all</em> the time."</p>
<p>The prince just shook his head with a breathe out of his nose, appearing disappointed though the small smile on his lips gave him away. He found his muddled mood already being lifted in the company of the avatar and it made him a little reluctant to address the reason for his visit. It'd been a little while since he last had a close friend to talk freely with.</p>
<p>Zuko took a good look at him and smirked, noticing the way the avatar had filled out and grown since the last time they'd met. "It's either been too long since I've seen you, or this is a nightmare, because I don't think I can call you 'kid' anymore."</p>
<p>Aang caught his gaze and chuckled self-consciously. "Yeah, Toph worked muscles I didn't even know I had, and I guess I grew a little taller—wait." He raised his eyebrow, this time actually looking offended. "Why would this be a <em>nightmare</em> for you?"</p>
<p>Zuko snorted lightly and waved a passive hand to him. "It doesn't take a genius to see that you aren't exactly the ugliest guy around Aang."</p>
<p>The airbender's eyebrows scrunched together. "Um… thanks, I guess?" He slowly said, his annoyance increasing in his face though he still looked puzzled. "I'm not sure how insulting me is some sort of clue though."</p>
<p>"It's not an insult, it's the opposite actually." Zuko rolled his eyes and crossed his arms before a sly smirk tugged at his lips. "Do you know how much harder it will be now to go anywhere with you? It was aggravating enough dealing with that little fan girl of yours in the North Pole when you were still that chubby faced kid, but now you'll have herds of girls after you—" He paused, noticing the faint blush that spread across the airbender's cheeks, and his face dropped "—don't tell me you never noticed all the looks you got. It's hard for a girl to resist a guy who is sickeningly nice, but it's <em>especially</em> hard when he's the avatar."</p>
<p>Aang rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and sighed. "Yeah, heh… I've kinda already had this talk with Sokka after he was nearly trampled by a fan club when we found Toph." His admittance was dry and he shrugged, his tone becoming increasingly desperate as he continued.</p>
<p>"I mean, I see it when people look at me, but I guess I just remind myself that it's not really me they are seeing but the avatar" —He let out a groan and took a seat on the bench Zuko had been sitting on— "I don't know. There were never any girls at the air temples when I was training so it's hard for me to respond the right way when they show me all the extra attention; I suppose that's why it's so easy to just let if brush off me. With all the training I've had to go through after being gone for so long, and the fact that I still need more, there really hasn't been any incentive for me to take better notice of them except to be polite."</p>
<p>The prince gaped humorously, and sat beside his friend as he remarked, "You really haven't interacted much with women to be able to say that." And Aang rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>"I do interact with them, but it's kind of hard to have a decent conversation with any one girl—let alone talk to a group of them—when half of them are practically undressing me with their eyes, and the other half is being very vocal about their willingness to help me repopulate the Air Nation," He said, grimacing at the memory of a few instances in particular, after Zuko had left, where they almost got their wish. He let out a deep breath and took on a distant gaze ahead of him. "If this is a nightmare for anyone, it would be me."</p>
<p>The firebender raised his eyebrows, biting back the laugh that trickled up his throat. He knew that for Aang this problem may actually be something close to a nightmare, but he couldn't help to find the humor in its irony seeing as any other guy would fight Azula if it meant they were in the same situation that he found himself in.</p>
<p>Try as he might though, he couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice as he pointed out, "You do know they have a point though, it's not like you can do that on your own."</p>
<p>Aang snorted and flashed him an impish grin. "I'm well aware of that Zuko."</p>
<p>Zuko resisted an eyeroll as his face fell. '<em>Of course he is</em>,' He thought dryly to himself.</p>
<p>The airbender just laughed at his reaction before continuing: "Look, that ties into my avatar duty since it's now my responsibility to make sure the avatar cycle isn't broken with me. I know that I'll have to pick one at some point, but none of them have really stood out to me, and I'm still young that I don't have to rush it just yet. So, don't worry about me. If anything, it'll be you to find someone soon, and I'm sure I could spare the time to help you out." He nudged the prince with a smirk.</p>
<p>This made Zuko laugh, and he shook his head, pointing out, "First off, with the title of 'prince' and 'soon to be Fire Lord,' I'm not exactly hurting for help Aang." But, as the words left his mouth, his arrangement with a certain hot-headed waterbender came to mind, and his expression grew more serious as he continued: "But, I never really meant what I said in that way because… I'm already engaged to someone."</p>
<p>Aang's eyes widened, and Zuko dismissed his surprised stare as he explained. "It happened over a month ago and it wasn't exactly by choice; more of a political arrangement by my father. Since it wasn't the happiest of occasions, I didn't see the need to let anyone know of it more than those who heard the formal announcement."</p>
<p>"Oh, I see…" The avatar began quietly, and Zuko was caught off guard by the tinge of hurt in the boy's voice. "I'm not sure if any kind of message would have gotten to me easily anyway, since I haven't been staying in one place for too long lately." After a moment, a small smile graced his face. "Well, I guess my congratulations are in order then!"</p>
<p>Zuko returned his smile, even if it was strained. "Thanks, even though it's really not necessary," He commented, and shifted somewhat uncomfortably, not liking the heavier mood that settled on them. "So, what have I missed in the avatar journey?"</p>
<p>Aang's face lit up instantly, and he beamed the same goofy grin Zuko remembered seeing the day he agreed to teach him firebending as the airbender began spouting off the many adventures he had been on in the prince's absence.</p>
<p>Zuko relaxed into his seat as he listened, the light-hearted reunion between them being just the break he needed. He still found it somewhat amusing how easily it was to befriend the avatar, having heard about him through stories within the palace walls and every once in a while on his trips into town after it was discovered that he was alive. It wasn't as though he held anything negatively towards the airbender, but their first meeting was less than innocent when the prince's beach house on Embers Island was nearly burnt to a crisp because of him and another guy who was always eager to eat.</p>
<p>Aang came to a resting point in his storytelling by the time the sun traveled further down the Western skyline, and he sighed contently. "It's been fun," He said, giving Zuko a smile. "But we've missed you."</p>
<p>The prince could feel a warmth spread through his chest at the sincerity in his voice, and he returned the smile briefly before looking out to the garden in front of them, reluctantly letting it slip off as now was as good of time as any to address the reason for his friend's visit. Appa had since been taken to one of the stables to be groomed and fed so the place was fairly quiet save for their own voices. Zuko supposed Momo had passed out somewhere after having spotted one of the fruit bowls being transported in a neighboring hallway, the monkey lemur wasting no time in following after it.</p>
<p>He cleared his throat as the air around them shifted with his mood to a more serious atmosphere. "Well, I'm sorry the reason for your visit isn't on the best circumstances," He expressed with a hint of regret. "Has my father informed you on many of the details surrounding the North Pole?"</p>
<p>Aang shook his head somewhat sheepishly. "I'm afraid he only gave me enough to say that there is a problem between the Northern Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom."</p>
<p>Zuko nodded with understanding and recounted all the information he knew from the beginning suspicions of the water tribes to the meeting that morning. He watched as Aang took it in with a straight face for the most part, but the latest revelations from Chief Arnook had produced a rather puzzled look on his face.</p>
<p>"I don't get it," He stated, a frown appearing on his lips. "I've been in the Earth Kingdom for the last few months now, and I've never seen any of this happening."</p>
<p>"Well, according to the message received in the North Pole, everything is an underground operation so the likelihood of anybody hearing about it is pretty slim; hence the reason why it's called an <em>underground</em> operation," Zuko quipped, his words carrying a hint of sarcasm. "And I'm sure that if the king was planning something big then you'd be the last person he'd want to know so, it's no surprise that you never caught on to it."</p>
<p>The airbender's brow furrowed a bit more. "But I've been with the king plenty of times myself, and I've learned enough from Toph during our training to know that he wasn't lying or withholding information from me. Not to mention that if they were curtailing the amount of metal that those spies claim he is, Toph would have noticed and said something. Ever since she figured out how to metal bend, she was always complaining there was nothing for her to practice with."</p>
<p>"I guess even a pompous guy like Kuei knows when to stay quiet sometimes," Zuko offered with a slightly musing voice.</p>
<p>"That's part of my point, have you even met him before?" Aang asserted while shooting the prince an unamused look, in which Zuko simply shook his head. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he glanced around the courtyard, taking note of some servants busying themselves. "I don't really understand why everyone here thinks of him like that. I remember hearing some people in town one of the times I was last here talking about king Kuei, and they said the same thing. Even my waterbending teacher, Pakku, said something similar while I was there with him. But, the earth king isn't like that at all."</p>
<p>"That's just what I've heard of him. People say that he relies more on a flashy political stance to gain respect from the other nations because he can't bend."</p>
<p>Aang turned his attention back to the firebender at his voice, and Zuko could see that the information wasn't fitting well by his expression. "The earth king may not be a bender, and he may be a little out there, but he's definitely not flashy. He's probably more clueless than anyone I've met, but yet, is also one of the most grounded. To hear that he is planning something that could lead the nations to war is unbelievable."</p>
<p>Zuko scoffed lightly. "I know, it's unbelievable that this would happen in time for my coronation as well," He remarked sourly before noticing the unsettling look that came upon the avatar's face, and Aang shook his head.</p>
<p>"That's not what I meant. I mean, it really is <em>unbelievable.</em> I may not be very close to the earth king, but I know him well enough to say that something doesn't seem right about this."</p>
<p>Zuko didn't respond right away, scanning the grounds for prying ears. "The truth is, I've already been thinking the same thing," He finally said after a few moments of bated silence, and Aang's eyebrows shot up faster than he was expecting.</p>
<p>"Look, I haven't told anyone else and I really haven't figured out what to make of everything. I only heard it all for myself this morning," He admitted quickly, keeping his voice low. "I just know that this whole thing isn't sitting right with me, and I think there's more to it than anyone is admitting. In any case, this needs to be kept quiet for right now. My father is pushing forward with some precautionary plans and he would give us both a run for our lives if we interrupted anything based on feelings and speculation."</p>
<p>The look on Aang's face suggested he wanted to say more, but he nodded in agreeance and the two put some distance between them as they leaned back. Silence enveloped them as they both sat in contemplation.</p>
<p>Their musings were interrupted mere minutes later when a few of the younger female servants slowly strode by them, the girls taking a few stolen glances at the avatar as he remained oblivious to them, lost in his thoughts. Their actions and the light giggles that escaped from the three managed to attract Zuko's attention quickly and he followed their gazes to the boy next to him, inwardly rolling his eyes as his point was proven from earlier. He nudged the airbender beside him with a little more force than necessary, and the boy nearly fell over in surprise with a yelp, unceremoniously catching himself before he made contact with the ground.</p>
<p>"What was that for?" He demanded as he straightened himself up on his feet, shooting the firebender an annoyed look. Zuko just smirked at him and pointed behind him, nearly laughing at the blush that stained his cheeks once he caught the gaze of the three girls who were giggling even louder at his near blunder. Zuko came up beside him with a solid clap to his back.</p>
<p>"Look, all I'm saying is, you don't have to worry about <em>me</em> now so let me help <em>you</em>," Zuko inclined ever so smugly, echoing the same offer from the airbender from earlier. He could see the protest in his friend's face, but he quickly moved the two of them forward before he could vocalize any of it. He approached the ladies with an air of command and kept his face serious after stopping in front of them, motioning to the younger man beside him who looked ready to run. The girls eyed them nervously.</p>
<p>"It's not very dignified for servants of the palace to be gawking at one of the Fire Lord's guests, and I'm not very appreciative of you three doing so to my friend." As he spoke the girls immediately went silent and straightened up, a look of embarrassment resonating between their three faces at the scolding, and Zuko met the incredulous look he was getting by the airbender. Zuko winked at him and had to bite his cheek to keep from bursting out into laughter at the desperation on Aang's features.</p>
<p>'Maybe I shouldn't,' He pondered with the slightest bit of sympathy given the pleading look the avatar's gray eyes. He pushed the thought away only moments later before speaking up once more, a smirk now on his lips. "I suppose I could overlook it if you three will see to it that the avatar finds the guest quarters well so that he may freshen up from his travels."</p>
<p>The girls looked as though they could hardly contain their excitement, and enthusiastically nodded with a resounding, "Yes Prince Zuko!"</p>
<p>The look of betrayal that seized Aang's face as they took hold of him and led him away caused Zuko to finally laugh and he gave the boy a flippant wave goodbye as he called after them, "Someone will be by to get you for dinner!"</p>
<p>He could hear the airbender's polite protests all the way down the hall, but the girls paid no mind to him at all, and Zuko turned away with a self-satisfied smile as he started towards his room. "He's going to kill me for this," He quietly reminded himself, though the amusement overwhelmed any guilt he felt for it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Meeting the Avatar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That same morning found Katara mindlessly wandering the palace halls.</p>
<p>She'd been awoken later than normal to the light pouring through the windows, and had yet to blink away the grogginess she felt before the door was swung open and an elderly woman was revealed, attempting to enter the room with a few cleaning supplies in her arms. After having met the waterbender's surprised eyes, the servant froze and quickly stammered out a frightened apology before trying to back out of the doorway. Katara hadn't been thrilled about the intrusion, but encouraged the older woman to go about the business she came to do and simply hurried herself out of the bedroom, more upset that she overslept that anything else as she stalked out of it.</p>
<p>Given that the daily chores of the Southern Water Tribe had the women starting their day when the men left to fish at dawn, her day should've started much earlier than the sun risen high in the Eastern sky. But, with the stress that only served as a perpetuator since she'd arrived within the Fire Nation, these late mornings seemed to be happening more as of late.</p>
<p>Normally Zuko's stirring would wake her up, but upon meeting an expression that wasn't his usual scowling one, she figured it was because of him that her morning began late. Though, in a way, she was glad his face wasn't the one greeting her. Once up and about, she felt a lot of the same emotions from the previous night flood her system and seeing him would've have only made it worse.</p>
<p>But now, as she walked along the hall, she couldn't help <em>but</em> wonder where he had run off to. '<em>Why do I suddenly care where's he's gone off to?</em>' She didn't, she reminded herself sourly in response to her own thoughts. She closed her eyes and forced a breath from her nose, suddenly finding the quiet curiosity of her heart a bit harder to ignore than anything else, and she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings when...</p>
<p>
  <em>OOMF!</em>
</p>
<p>Out of nowhere, her body collided with another and she was tossed unceremoniously onto ground with a thud.</p>
<p>"Goodness, I am so sorry y-your highness!"</p>
<p>She cracked a glance up to the other person and saw yet another servant, this one a younger man. He offered her a hand and she took it graciously, smiling somewhat embarrassingly at the run-in.</p>
<p>"Please don't apologize," She stated softly as she recovered, feeling a bit bad seeing how nervous he looked. "I was the one lost in my own world so really, if anyone should be apologizing, it's me."</p>
<p>"I hope you didn't drop anything because of me," She added after looking past him at the cart he'd been pulling along, it's wooden frame almost bowing with the fruit it held.</p>
<p>She glanced around at the ground to see if any had with the intent of helping, but nothing seemed to have fallen out so she looked back up at him. He took a quick look too before meeting her eye, but by the expression on his face, she didn't figure he would let her help even if the cart had crumbled to pieces in that instant.</p>
<p>"No, I don't think I ran into you that hard. I just hope you are alright," He responded with a shaky voice, more fear consuming his face than concern it seemed. She felt a lump in her throat and held back a sigh.</p>
<p>Dealing with Zuko and some of the other officials at the palace tended to grate on her nerves, but the servants tugged at her emotions differently. She saw the dishes that would fly when something was made wrong or someone forgot to put a garnish on the plate, and she never failed to see the looks that were casted at them when they fumbled their words or their actions. It filled her with an indignation the first time it happened, her heated words quickly being shut out by those who didn't want to hear them, but then confusion mixed in as to why the staff would stay in such a hostile environment.</p>
<p>Before long she didn't know what to say anymore. As she grazed over the boy's face in front of her, filled with the same emotions she'd seen on every servants face at one time or another, it saddened her. Regretfully, the elderly woman from that morning looked similar, and Katara chided herself for being harsher than she would've liked, even though it was hard to stop it after the circumstances drew it out of her.</p>
<p>With that memory in mind, she figured she would ease his nerves and casually waved his concern off with a chuckle. "I'm okay, just don't try harder next time," She said with an innocent wink, making sure to keep her tone light. To her relief, he picked up on it and seemed to calm down considerably, actually smiling at her after a moment as he shook his head.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, I'll mark my gravestone before I dare run into you like this again your highness."</p>
<p>She nodded hesitantly, giving him a half-hearted smile. That wasn't really the response she was going for, but she guessed it was better than the alternative.</p>
<p>"Oh, here."</p>
<p>She watched him curiously motion with his finger for her to wait as he turned to the batch of fruit and pulled one out. His smile faltered as he offered it to her, and she could see the hesitancy in his motion. "This isn't much of an apology offering, but they were picked fresh earlier today and are usually sweeter around this time of year."</p>
<p>Her smile widened at the polite gesture, but she turned it down as it really wasn't necessary.</p>
<p>Well... at least, that was she had planned to do when she opened her mouth. But, seeing the delicious looking fruit so close to her and looking so tasty, it made her realize she'd missed breakfast. As if her stomach felt the need to voice it's aggrievance in reply to her thoughts, a loud grumble erupted from underneath her robes and she blushed at the embarrassing sound, the servant stifling a chuckle.</p>
<p>She thanked him awkwardly and finally accepted the fruit out of his hand. With a hardly suppressed smile, he bowed to indicate his leave from her and continued on his way.</p>
<p>'<em>What he must be thinking right now,</em>' She thought, willing her warm cheeks to cool while she watched him begin to walk away, the cart he pulled making a creaking noise as its wheels began turning once more. As she was about to turn and continue down the hall, she noticed the sudden appearance of two —rather fluffy— ears pop out of the basket.</p>
<p>"What the…" Her brows drew together in puzzlement, and she quickly rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't just imagining the strange things. But, to her confusion, they remained there afterwards, slightly twitching as the fruit around them began to shake. She debated making a comment on it to the servant pulling the cart, but before she could call out to the young man, he turned a corner and disappeared.</p>
<p>She paused, debating whether to act on what she saw, but decided against it as she turned to resume her wanderings. '<em>I must be more stressed than I thought</em>' was her conclusion as she brushed the scene off and took a big bite of the fruit in her hand, absentmindedly noticing that there were actually more servants bustling down the halls than she even realized.</p>
<p>She did find her two encounters that day rather strange as her thoughts were provoked. During her time in the palace, the place never seemed to come alive unless someone important was making an appearance, or the Fire Lord was in a nasty mood. No one usually wanted to stay in one place long enough to risk a fire ball to the face so it made her wonder.</p>
<p>Given that she'd rarely seen fruit brought in by the cart full, and considering Zuko had made it clear that no one was to enter his bedroom without strict orders or permission, Katara figured the former must be true and internally groaned.</p>
<p>The last two important visitors they hosted for a day were no more charming than the Fire Lord himself, and neither treated her like anything more than another servant that slaved over their every need; one of them even going as far as to demand fruit tarts be placed in his room even after it was made clear that she was betrothed to the prince. Zuko had stood up for her, and she was a little taken back by the force in which he did it, but it still didn't deter the disparaging looks they continued to give her throughout the evening.</p>
<p>And they were hard looks to forget.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the sound of an animal's cry caught her attention with a start, along with a few shouts from behind her, and no sooner had she turned to find it's source was she met with a blur of white heading straight for her face. Out of reflex, she screwed her eyes closed to brace for the impact, a small gasp escaping her lips.</p>
<p>Curiously, after a few still moments, nothing happened. A few more shouts, a bit louder than before, prompted her to open her eyes in time to see the same young servant she had run into minutes earlier with another older man coming her way. Both men looked mad as they frantically searched the hallway, neither giving her a glance in their hot pursuit of whatever it was they were looking for before they too were gone in a blur.</p>
<p>After watching their retreating figures, she glanced around herself in confusion. The white object seemed to have vanished into thin air, and she couldn't see anything that resembled it now around her with only the half-eaten fruit laying on the ground by her feet, it's bruised skin evident that she dropped it in her surprise. Seeing her perfectly good snack tainted with dirt was a little upsetting, but it still looked to be edible and her stomach reminded her that it had yet to be satisfied so she reached for it, shaking off the disturbed feeling she got about what had just happened.</p>
<p>Before she could even touch the fruit, another hand quickly took it from her and pulled it beneath her robe. A very <em>fluffy</em> and <em>small</em> hand.</p>
<p>She shrieked in horror and jumped back to reveal what had been hiding beneath her clothes, and a pair of big, innocent eyes met her. It was a... monkey lemur?</p>
<p>Her body froze in an awkward stance with her hands out in front of her like she was going to karate chop it as she just stared, not sure what to make of the situation, and the lemur disregarded her rather fast for her leftover fruit that he held possessively within his paws. '<em>When did he get in there?!</em>' Was the first panicked thought to her mind.</p>
<p>"Are you okay?"</p>
<p>Katara glanced to her side and relaxed somewhat at the concern in his voice, but at the sight of Zuko, she could have done without the mildly entertained look on his face. She let her arms drop unceremoniously to her sides with a huff as he shifted his gaze to the lemur, and seemed to make the connection. "I guess you've met Momo."</p>
<p>She wasn't amused and she narrowed her eyes at him as he reached his arm out to the animal, inviting it to climb up onto his shoulder. "I'm sorry, <em>who?"</em></p>
<p>The prince looked at her dubiously before pointing to the animal now resting beside his face, the lemur's attention still captivated by the fruit as he continued munching on it. "Momo," He repeated, and she could see the smile slowly spreading across his face. "You know, the monkey lemur you looked ready to fight just a second ago."</p>
<p>Her eyes narrowed even further at his withering remark. "Well, that thing just popped out from under my robe and stole my lunch, so how else was I supposed to react?" She snarled and pointed to herself for reference of the indecent action. He raised an eyebrow now taking in her outfit, one that was less than fitting for her status, though it was all she could find in the minute she had to leave the room that morning.</p>
<p>Frankly she didn't care for the stuffy robes he insisted she wear. They were too flashy, and she always managed to trip over them at one point in the day so it made her feel somewhat free to be downing only a simple red robe with no gold or embellishments; an outfit more readily seen on one of the servants than on the prince's fiancé. She also didn't have time to deal with her hair except a quick brush through, so it lacked the usual head piece that symbolized her position within the palace. No one really needed to see it to know who she was anyways, but it was one of the many rules and customs she was forced to abide by given her engagement.</p>
<p>Without a response to her, Zuko turned to the lemur with a smirk and gave him a rub on the head as he remarked: "I think you've gotten farther than any male to date, congratulations buddy."</p>
<p>Not surprised at the jab, she frowned and rolled her eyes. "Forget it, I'm leaving," She announced crossly with a dismissing wave of her hand and turned to leave. "Have fun with your stupid pet."</p>
<p>"Wait!"</p>
<p>His voice echoed behind her before his hand found her wrist, and she pivoted on her heel quickly, yanking her hand away. She wasn't concerned to give him the time of day at the moment, but she made the mistake of meeting his golden eyes, and the look on his face kept her feet planted where she stood. It kept an excuse from leaving off the tip of her tongue also so, begrudgingly so, she shifted her weight and crossed her arms, silently telling him to get on with it already.</p>
<p>He let out a long sigh before continuing: "I'm sorry… I… I wanted to apologize for last night." His tone was surprisingly soft and sincere as she watched him nervously rub his neck, his eyes darting around before locking back onto hers as he found the words to say.</p>
<p>"I know I'm the last person you probably thought you'd ever be getting married to, and you weren't exactly the one I had in mind either, but regardless of the reasons why we are together I shouldn't have said what I did. I really don't want us to keep being mad at each other and… and I'm just sorry, okay?"</p>
<p>Katara snorted, though she could feel her anger fading at his seemingly genuine apology. "Honestly you didn't even make the list," She retorted rather harshly, feeling a pang of regret only a moment after when he winced, despite his attempt to hide it. Normally her words just bounced off of him, or they would elicit some charged response as well, yet she got neither. Instead, he only sighed once more, and her sour feelings were suddenly put on hold as she eyed him curiously now.</p>
<p>"I know," He began, with a tinge of resolve. "I was thinking it over this morning and figured the energy we spend grabbing at each other's throat may be better spent trying to make this thing work in a way where we don't kill each other" —Katara raised an eyebrow and he let out a quick breath as he clarified— "I think we should try starting over. Clean slate kind of deal."</p>
<p>She stared at his expectant eyes for a pregnant moment, unsure of what to say at first when, instead of words, laughter began spilling out from between her lips. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.</p>
<p>"You don't actually mean that?" She choked out, reining it in somewhat, and he scowled.</p>
<p>"I'm serious!" He said loudly, his voice being enough of a startle to Momo to launch the lemur into the air and have it decidedly settled on Katara who ignored him, having since finished his snack and threw the pit off to the side. Her laughter caught in her throat at his sharp tone and he continued, his eyes boring into hers as he face was set. "I have other things to worry about right now, and I can't keep doing this with you. If starting over is the only way we can have a decent conversation, then I'm all for it because I'm done arguing. Like it or not, you are here with me and unless there's some way out of this, it wouldn't kill you to at least try and act nice, would it?"</p>
<p>Wrong choice of words.</p>
<p>Perhaps because he could feel the heat radiating off her body or sensed the thick air around them, Momo quickly hopped to the banister next to them and looked on curiously. Katara's eyes narrowed as a tight frown pulled her lips. "Yes, Zuko, it would, because news flash, there is no such thing as starting over for us," She seethed, pointing an angry finger to his chest. "We may have never talked that much when you were with Sokka, but in those times where you dared to utter a word to me, I nearly drowned you for all the crap that would spill out of your mouth."</p>
<p>"Oh please, what about you—"</p>
<p>"What about me?!"</p>
<p>Her incredulous anger cut him off, and he looked as though he were getting mad, but she didn't care. Inching closer to him as he instinctively moved away, she continued: "All I hear from you is 'I this,' or 'me that.' When have you really considered my feelings in all of this?" Now creeping up an octave in volume, she didn't wait for a response. "You haven't. Why? Oh right, business doesn't care about feelings. Or have you forgotten already that '<em>this is just business</em>'?"</p>
<p>His eyes widened and she saw something flicker across his face. "Wait, no—" But, she couldn't stop now.</p>
<p>Tears began burning at the corners of her eyes, and she forcefully blinked them back as the memories tried to surface. "Our history is the very reason that I am having to restrain myself right now from stamping your face into this stone, and while you may be able to shrug it off so casually as if our spats were the only thing that have happened between us to make me feel this way, it's not so easy for me to forget the fact that it was because of your people that my mother was taken from me over ten years ago!" The words pained her to even say, and she wiped a few tears that had escaped, weakly managing to keep her composure for the most part as she finally back away from him, her last words ending nearly in a shout.</p>
<p>She couldn't read his expression well, and he tried another weak attempt to speak, but she was already done. "Katara, I—"</p>
<p>"Yes, it would kill me Zuko," She repeated considerably quieter as her hands clenched into fists. "Because my mother was the nicest woman I knew, and they still killed her in cold blood," She finished darkly low, and with one last look over his haunted face, she turned and quickly made her way to anywhere but there, avoiding the many stares they had received from those brave enough to stop and watch the scene unfold.</p>
<p>She felt sick to her stomach. Was it really that hard for him to understand that the blood between them was bad long before they even met? Internally she groaned, not able to understand why she felt so disappointed, which only fueled her tempered mood more. She heard him calling after her, but it only made her feet carry her that much faster.</p>
<p>"I can't believe I let my guard down for him," She fumed once she found herself alone, only the faint stains lining her cheeks giving any indication of her crying earlier. It was one of the halls that lead alongside one of the courtyards, and she began unconsciously making her way to it. "I thought that maybe he was sorry, and that maybe this was going to be different, but no. Why do I bother anymore? It's not like he'll ever understand—that much is obvious."</p>
<p>At that she heard a chirp from beside her and shot Momo a glare, having known he was trailing her since she made her escape and had remained ignorant of his presence until he chimed in his opinion. She abruptly stopped, and turned to him, with her hands flying to her hips.</p>
<p>"What, are you defending him now?" She barked, taking a moment after his head tilted to the side in confusion before she realized she just yelled at a monkey-lemur, and was actually expecting a response that wasn't a throaty croak. She bit her lip with a turn and resumed her walking, muttering out a "crap, I'm starting to talk to animals now. Smooth Katara. When should we start planning your admittance to Azula's asylum? It's looking better every day..."</p>
<p>After that she walked silently for a few moments, eyeing the lemur that kept staring back at her, keeping pace with her as if he were trying to see where she was going. A few more steps in and she stopped again. Innocent as he may be, it was only plucking her raw nerves more.</p>
<p>"What is your problem?" She snapped, the sudden sound of her voice causing Momo to flinch. An exasperated sigh was let out and her shoulders relaxed, knowing he was an innocent bystander as she motioned down the hall, quieting her tone as she asked, "I'm not your owner so I don't get why you are following me. He's back there, and I'm not about to walk you back to him so, you can find your way back, okay?"</p>
<p>His ears twitched to the sides before turning back to her, the same blank stare he had been giving her boring into her frustrated one, and she finally noticed how familiar those big white ears looked. Her eyes widened.</p>
<p>"You were the one I saw in the fruit cart earlier!" She exclaimed, realization dawning on her as she pointed to him. Her gaze narrowed in on him. This was his fault. If he hadn't of scared the daylights out of her, then she wouldn't have run into Zuko like she had, and she wouldn't be in the simmering mood she is now. It was his fault, right?</p>
<p>"Why you little…" Drawing her conclusions to the culprit that sat within arm's reach, she quickly pounced on him, but he was faster and took to the air with a frightened screech. She peeled herself from the wall with a growl and pursued him, giving a few diving jumps to grab him, though they all led to her smacking into either the wall again or nearly tumbling to the ground.</p>
<p>"Come back here you little weasel… monkey… lemur… bat—whatever the heck you are!" She shouted, and after a few more quick steps, made another launch for him. To her satisfaction she grabbed a hold of one of his feet, but the leap sent her too far forward as she crashed into the ground with a painful groan, never letting her grip loose on Momo who let out another high-pitched noise as he came down with her. She adjusted onto her elbows with a pain-induced groan, but that didn't stop the prideful smirk from spreading across her lips as she locked eyes with him. "Gotcha!"</p>
<p>Carefully pulling herself up off the ground, she scanned the area and realized they had come up to the courtyard full of golden lilies, still standing on the edge of where the hallway closed itself off from the outside and where it opened onto the beautiful garden. Looking into the garden, she took a sharp breath in once she saw they weren't alone, and was startled to see someone just sitting in the middle of it. His back was to her, but there was no mistaking that tattooed bald head.</p>
<p>He didn't stir from his spot so she guessed he hadn't caught wind of the fiasco she'd just dealt with concerning Momo, of whom she barely noticed she had loosened her grip on, and found herself watching him silently. That was until said animal let out another shriek and launched itself forward towards the young man, easily wriggling out of her grip. Katara instinctively made a grab for him with a surprised gasp, but none too soon slapped a hand over her mouth in hopes that she hadn't been heard, watching as Momo perched himself on the young avatar's shoulder. She watched him reach out a hand and pet the animal without so much as a startle.</p>
<p>"Oh! Hey Momo, I was starting to wonder where you flew off to." His light laugh echoed through the air, and she glanced to her side in an attempt to pull herself away. It was working until he piped up again, and her whole body froze. "It would be nice if I could thank you for returning my friend to me before you go."</p>
<p>Her eyes widened slightly as she looked back to him, still very aware of the fact that he had yet to even inch a glance in her direction. '<em>How did he even know I was here?</em>' She panicked for a moment before dumbly remembering the tumble she took, and inwardly rolled her eyes as she cleared her throat, taking a few tentative steps towards him.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't exactly say I was returning him…" She trailed off quietly, not sure exactly how to explain how they'd ended up there, and certainly not inclined to divulge everything. Without missing a beat, he looked at her over his shoulder with a cheesy grin, and her breath caught in her throat.</p>
<p>"Don't tell me you were <em>stealing</em> him then?" He drew the word out jokingly, but that wasn't what caught her by surprise. As soon as the words left his mouth, and he caught her gaze, his eyes widened considerably and a look of fear mixed with annoyance took over his face. Without warning he was on his feet nearly fumbling over himself trying to back away from her.</p>
<p>"L-look I found my room just fine, a-and I've already freshened up; please, I don't need anything more," He quickly spluttered out with a slight shake in his voice, finally finding some solid ground as he put a hand up to her. Katara quirked an eyebrow at the weird greeting, but didn't say anything, and he paused. A look of recognition, as though he remembered something that seemed to calm him down somewhat, took over his features, and he calmly asked: "Oh, were you coming to tell me that dinner is ready?"</p>
<p>She just eyed him incredulously and noticed the awkward glance he made down at her outfit, one that she followed, and then it hit her. He thought she was one of the staff. Without warning the indignation she felt from the last visitors coursed through her and slipped off her tongue like bad sea prune stew.</p>
<p>"<em>Excuse me</em>?" She said, quickly crossing her arms over her chest as her eyes narrowed down on him. "I'm not here to <em>fetch </em>you for anything."</p>
<p>The look he gave her was doubtful at first as he eyed her outfit again, but he smiled sheepishly, a flicker of something crossing his face that was gone before she knew what it was.</p>
<p>"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything," He said apologetically and his hand shot up to rub the back of his neck as he glanced away. "I just had a…an unpleasant experience earlier today —thanks to a friend— and your robes just look a lot like the other servants."</p>
<p>Before she could think twice, she closed the gap between them and flicked him on the nose, stating, "That's why you shouldn't just assume things you know," and he flinched in response, an annoyed look on his face as he reached up to rub the spot. A self-satisfied smile came to her face, and getting over his initial reaction, he looked back at her, more curiously this time. His gaze was a little more intense than she was comfortable with, causing her to shift somewhat as he looked her over, and realized they were a bit closer than she would've liked thanks to her own questionable actions.</p>
<p>"Wait, have we met before?"</p>
<p>Her eyes widened and she resisted the urge to scoff. Did he really not recognize her? It took her all of two seconds seeing his blue tattoos to know they could only belong to him. Being the only airbender alive didn't help his case either. Despite the still leery look on her face, he inched closer to her as he innocently scanned her, and remained oblivious to how this small action caused her to shift her weight away from him awkwardly.</p>
<p>"I'm not exactly flattered by your ogling at me," She commented, inching herself back.</p>
<p>"You look very familiar," He continued thoughtfully, ignorant to her remark, before landing on her blue eyes and a grin quickly spread across his face as he had a visible 'aha' moment followed by an exclaimed, "You're Sokka's sister, right?"</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes, not withholding the mocking half-smile that came to her lips. "Really? It took you that long to recognize me?" She asked unamused. He shrugged, backing away from her and she felt her shoulders relax though she kept her eyes glued to him.</p>
<p>"Well, it's not like we ever spoke much with each other and it has been a while since I've seen you," He pointed out reasonably before his own words brought a confused look on. "Actually, why are you here? I thought you were engaged to someone at the North Pole, or at least that's what Sokka told me."</p>
<p>"I was, but…" She began without a hesitation, scowl already starting it's spread across her face when she blanked. Was he mocking her? There's no way it took him that long to recognize her and then to spend nearly two years with her brother only to be left in the dark at a letter she was sure Sokka couldn't keep his mouth shut about. "I'm conducting a little business with Prince Zuko," She finished airily, seeing as it wasn't a lie. Not that Zuko would have argued it was anything else either.</p>
<p>Seeing his eyebrows shoot up, she quickly tried to change the topic before he could question her further. "Not that it's a surprise to see you here, but what are <em>you</em> doing here?"</p>
<p>He eyed her a moment longer and then smirked. "Well, I <em>was</em> meditating until you not so quietly interrupted me."</p>
<p>She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, but fought it back as she pointedly replied, "That's not what I meant. I thought you'd be off learning earthbending by now."</p>
<p>He only chuckled before answering her original question. "Kind of the same reason. I was doing some training when I got a messenger hawk from the Fire Lord asking for my presence here at the palace so, I hopped on Appa and flew over."</p>
<p>Not one to spare details was he? "So then, is Sokka here somewhere?" She asked distractedly, not really caring to know the details of his visit right now and more excited at the thought of seeing her brother again. It had been too long since she'd last seen him and although he got on her nerves, she missed him and the occasional letters they exchanged never were enough for her. Aang shook his head and she let out a disappointed sigh. "Oh."</p>
<p>"I'm only here until tomorrow evening so it wouldn't have made sense for him and Toph to drop what they were doing and come with," He supplied softly and after sweeping a glance over her face, he added with a smile, "He did want to see you though. You wouldn't believe how much he talks about you."</p>
<p>Katara laughed though she had no doubt it was true, but it did still create a familiar warmth in her chest hearing it. "He likes to act like I'm the most annoying person he's ever met so, I can only imagine what he has said."</p>
<p>"Only good things so far," He reassured her, smile widening, and Katara found herself taken by the brilliant gray eyes that looked back into hers. In the fleeting moments she had interacted with him when Sokka visited home, she'd never noticed much about him and yet it still struck her that he didn't seem to be the same kid that sauntered into their tiny village years ago. '<em>I didn't know they were gray…</em>'</p>
<p>All she heard was Aang clearing his throat and suddenly she became aware of the fact that she had been staring at him. Quickly glancing away, she fought the blush that she could feel already burning her cheeks.</p>
<p>"I am sorry about what I said earlier, I really wasn't paying attention." His apologetic voice brought her back to meet his gaze and he continued with a smirk: "It took me a minute, but I can see the resemblance. You and Sokka look a lot alike."</p>
<p>Katara snorted. "Well isn't that a compliment there," She said offhandedly, grateful that her blush faded off from the distraction.</p>
<p>"Not <em>exactly</em> alike. He's not nearly as pretty as you."</p>
<p>That was though. Her eyebrow shot up after a light rosy tint covered his cheeks and he glanced away, the words seeming to have rolled off his tongue before he could help it.</p>
<p>"Thanks…" She began quietly and almost unconvincingly. Deciding the conversation was taking a weird turn she took this as her cue and finished by lightly saying, "Well, I should really get going—" She was already inching her way back from him before she shot him a quick apologetic smile "—and I'm sorry about interrupting your meditation. I'll let you get back to it now."</p>
<p>"I don't mind—honestly, if you want to stay."</p>
<p>She'd already turned her back to him, but there was no way she was staying any longer. Something about their conversation was making her nervous and the last thing she wanted was to be on edge for dinner, dread was already building up inside her at the thought. "No, no, I've distracted you for long enough," She stated and then stopped just short of the hallway she had come out of, deciding the glance back at him as a thought suddenly struck her. She moved her gaze to Momo who had taken residence in the bird bath since Aang's first outburst when he thought she was a servant and pointed to him. "Wait… that thing is <em>your</em> pet?"</p>
<p>He followed her finger and nodded with a grin. "Momo? Yep!" Her face went blank and he eyed her curiously. "Why?"</p>
<p>She waved a passive hand, "Oh nothing…" Though inwardly she groaned at the memory. '<em>Why didn't he just say so?</em>' She mused in annoyance, thinking back to Zuko.</p>
<p>With that she left him alone in the garden and headed towards her bedroom to change. On her way she kept thinking back over what Zuko had said to her earlier that day, and oddly enough she found she didn't feel as angry about it anymore. Coming up to the corner she found herself face to face with three dolled up ones as the servants nearly ran right into her in their haste. They took notice of her right away and quickly bowed.</p>
<p>"Your highness! Forgive us for running into you like this," One of them spoke for the rest as they straightened up. Katara watched as they could hardly stay still as they anxiously glanced around, trying to be discrete about it but she could tell they were looking for something, and if she didn't know any better, she'd figure they were looking for a particular someone. It was kind of irritating, but also amusing at the same time. While the other two continued their search, one of the girls spoke up, "We were told to inform you and the avatar that dinner is ready and will be served shortly, but—" the girl bit her lip nervously "—I'm afraid we haven't been able to find the avatar. We showed him to his room earlier today and that was the last we saw of him."</p>
<p>Yup, she knew it.</p>
<p>"Oh, I just saw him—" Katara began, trying to be helpful, but after the words slipped her mouth she found all three girls nearly pinning her against the wall with desperate looks on their faces as they begged her to tell them. Forget amusing, this was just irritating she decided. She could hardly hold back a scowl as she pointed down the hall where she came from, "—he's out in the golden courtyard."</p>
<p>Without a moment's hesitation they thanked her profusely and disappeared in the direction she pointed towards, and she stared after them for a moment before exhaling and pushing herself off the wall. '<em>It's a good thing he's only here until tomorrow,</em>' She thought to herself. '<em>T</em><em>here's no way I could deal with that for any longer.</em>'</p>
<p>Once back in the bedroom, she was alone and found her thoughts drifting back to the airbender. She glanced at the robes that should've adorned her body from that morning and let out a sigh.</p>
<p>On second thought, she didn't feel very hungry anymore.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Tell Me More</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the wait you guys! Many of you guys on this platform may not know, but I first started this story back in the summer and I've been going back and rewriting a lot of it as I wasn't satisfied with the way I initially set it up. That being said, this chapter has always been the bane of my existence, even the first time I wrote it so I'm so happy it finally done. I actually finished it at like 4 this morning so, hopefully it's as cohesive as it sounded then, lol. </p>
<p>Also, someone asked me whether this was also on FanFiction, and yes! It is there along with a few other stories I haven't brought over to here so, if you'd like, be sure to check me out over there. My username is the same. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aang tried his best to be engaging during dinner that night, but a few odd looks from Zuko told him he wasn't doing too well of a job. He listened dutifully in the beginning, but it didn't take long for his mind to wander and take a particular interest in the vacant seat next to his friend.</p>
<p>Someone had dropped in at the beginning of the meal to inform them that his fiancé was not feeling well and had chosen to opt out of dinner altogether. From their demeanor, the news was unwelcomed but oddly not unexpected, and no comment was really made as to her wellbeing after that. That had Aang's eyes wandering to the place where she should've been sat that night, a bit mystified.</p>
<p>He managed to pick up a few sparing details about the woman during the brief exchange between Zuko and his father after the news was brought, but it wasn't nearly enough to articulately form someone in his mind. If he hadn't known better, it almost seemed as if neither wanted to go too far with the topic of her before moving on to a different subject, and only lightly touched upon the details that even concerned her.</p>
<p>But, regardless of what he could conclude in his musings, she still remained this faceless woman who stood beside the prince within Aang's thoughts, and it seems she would stay that way since he figured the chances of seeing her before he left were slim. Though, as much as he was curious about her, he didn't say anything as he listened on at the table.</p>
<p>Having traveled the world, he was not blind to the intricacies of arranged marriages and how touchy of a subject it could be for some. He understood the political aspects to it since it acted as a tangible covenant between two families, but it was never something that appealed to him and he found it rather crass to the couple involved. Having one's spouse picked out for you in order to settle a political agreement or alliance, or even to simply introduce better blood was never the most ideal future, even for the most governing of individuals.</p>
<p>Still, it was for that reason he abstained from questioning his friend much about her. That and because he was aware of Zuko's past with a certain nobleman's daughter that hadn't ended too well. At that thought, Aang glanced over at the firebender in question, a small frown pulling at his lips.</p>
<p>It hadn't even been a year since the nasty break up that ended their relationship and already Aang had to watch his friend commit his life to another woman, one the avatar knew probably wasn't the one Zuko wished he were marrying. To his credit though, the prince always seemed to hold himself remarkably well through it. Maybe the mystery woman was understanding of it all and that made it easier for Zuko to poise himself as well as he did?</p>
<p>Truthfully Aang wanted to ask about her, but he forced the questions to settle in the back of his mind instead. He and Zuko had formed a strong bond in their short time together, and while Zuko wasn't the most open person he'd met, he knew the prince would talk when he wanted to.</p>
<p>Pulling his attention back to the conversation at hand and seeing the way the two men discussed amongst themselves made him feel somewhat guilty about tuning them out. He knew he should be actively contributing to the conversation, but after a slightly embarrassing slip-up earlier in the meal - not to mention the unimpressed look he'd received from the Fire Lord because of it - he reminded himself that it was probably best to just feign some kind of interest until the real discussions picked up in the morning.</p>
<p>That was his excuse to look around the room anyways.</p>
<p>While he was done in his musings for the elusive fiancé, she did spring his train of thought to another person from earlier that day, and it was another young woman he noticed was vacant from the table as well. Thinking back to their conversation, he thought Katara would've been here given whatever business she was conducting with Zuko, but as if to prove him wrong, her presence was nowhere to be found.</p>
<p>He could feel the disappointment settle in at the prospect of not getting to see her again. It was true what he had told Zuko earlier that day, that not much really happened in the way of relationships with any, but that was Aang's own fault in a respect because every girl he took an interest in was compared to the girl he'd met from the Southern Water Tribe. It had been so subtle in the beginning that he never noticed it, but soon enough he began to catch himself in the act. One girl's skin wasn't as <em>tanned</em> as <em>hers,</em> or another girl's <em>eyes</em> weren't as brilliant of a <em>blue</em> as hers were, or even the girl's hair wasn't as <em>soft</em> looking as hers or as rich in color as <em>her</em> dark brown waves were.</p>
<p>He felt wretchedly shallow for it, to only find himself so captivated by her for her looks, but that was part of the reason he'd wanted to talk with her. Back before he left for the Northern tribe with Sokka, there admittedly had been some time to get acquainted with her, but that had never been his highest priority after Chief Hakoda and the elders of the village informed him of the time he'd missed being frozen in the ocean, and of the building tension between the nations.</p>
<p>Aang left only days later to seek out the truth for himself in the Southern Air Temple, but it was weeks before he spoke more than a few words to anybody after that. Once he finally did, he decided to leave and begin his journey in becoming the Avatar, unwittingly attracting the attention of someone else who felt their calling was beyond the snowcaps of his antarctic home. And with Sokka joining him, that meant the occasional trip back to the Southern tribe and – to Aang's eventual anticipation – Katara.</p>
<p>But, unfortunately, he realized rather quick that something had changed. Instead of engaging both of them in hot pursuit of updates and stories, she would whisk Sokka away on his own, showing little to none interest in the Avatar himself. In the beginning Aang assumed it because they weren't well acquainted given their scarce interaction before he and Sokka left, but that thought only held up for so long. And by that time, they'd already added Zuko to the mix. With regular sparring sessions in the snow and the day-to-day chores of the village women that kept Katara busy in her own right, there was little time to talk.</p>
<p>Now, thinking back to earlier that evening to the first time Aang had seen her since she'd left the North Pole, he had to bite back a sigh lest Zuko and his father remove all doubt that he wasn't paying attention to their conversation. It hadn't exactly been his smoothest yet but seeing her again was a reminder of something Sokka had told him shortly after they ran into his sister in the Northern Tribe.</p>
<p>"<em>I'm surprised she didn't bite your head off honestly. To her, you're like a brother snatcher or something</em>."</p>
<p>The offhanded statement had come to rub him the wrong way when he first heard it. It was the missing link Aang had stumbled over, blind to what could've been her perspective of everything, but it had also left him somewhat annoyed hearing that she thought negatively of him over a decision that wasn't even <em>his</em> to make.</p>
<p>Despite his annoyance though, it did nothing to squelch his interest of her, nor the curiosity he held in the letters she sent her brother. Sokka sometimes relayed them aloud and Aang had noticed a common thread throughout the ones he'd heard – a yearning for something more. He often found himself wondering how different things may have been had she come along also.</p>
<p>It frustrated him in a sense because he had no business thinking of her as much as he did, and that may have been what added to his annoyance early on. She wasn't too keen on him it seemed, but yet, she wouldn't leave his thoughts. He didn't even know her for heaven's sake!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, talking to Sokka or Zuko about it was never an option. Aside from the fact that Aang wasn't sure how Sokka would feel knowing the airbender was interested in his sister, their track record deterred any chance since he wasn't fond of the teasing he'd received about his earthbending teacher, Toph Beifong, when he'd begun training with her.</p>
<p>He would admit that to some degree she had managed to distract him from his Katara-induced thoughts given that any time she caught him daydreaming she'd pummel a rock into his ribcage. It scared the daylights out of him in the beginning, but after a while he had come to appreciate their training sessions and her. She was tough and independent, and he liked that. He felt like he could be himself around her, and though he could've done without some of the teasing and ridiculous names she called him, she was a breath of fresh air.</p>
<p>Inevitably though, even as great as Toph was, seeing Katara again brought all those thoughts flooding back to him. She was different too. There was something about her that drew him in, something he knew went deeper than appearances and he had hoped that she would be at dinner tonight so he could find out what that was.</p>
<p>Or, if nothing else, maybe even figure out the business she had with Zuko.</p>
<p>It was none of <em>his</em> business really, and he was being nosy, but it seemed weird that she would've traveled to the Fire Nation instead of a tribe representative. Even more than that, it would have to be something big for her father to agree to it from what he knew of Hakoda, and, at the very least, Aang figured he'd at least heard wind of it from Sokka.</p>
<p>After all, he knew… <em>right</em>?</p>
<p>The airbender figured it wouldn't hurt to try asking the older teen when he got back to the Earth Kingdom, though the more he thought about it, the more he realized he may not get very far. The guy used to talk about his sister all the time, just as Aang mentioned to Katara, but recently it seemed as though Sokka wanted to stay away from the topic of her altogether. It was peculiar, but Aang had never pushed it considering probing him may have eventually led to the curious question of why and.. well, he really didn't have a ready answer for that.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Feeling the smooth surface of the golden petals beneath his fingertips, Aang let out an inaudible sigh as a sliver of the discussion that morning echoed in his mind.</p>
<p>"<em>Sir, Chief Arnook and Hakoda have been notified and the ships were seen off the Eastern docks this morning. General Tu and his crew routed North while Commander Jiao took the Southern route through Fountain City's straight.</em>"</p>
<p>"<em>And the troops were instructed on where to stand guard?</em>"</p>
<p>"<em>Yes sir, everything is in order once they arrive. When the Earth Kingdom attacks, we'll be ready.</em>"</p>
<p>The last meeting ended nearly an hour ago, but Aang couldn't quite shake the nagging feeling in his gut now as he walked within one of the palace courtyards. He was hoping to talk more about it with Zuko afterwards, but unfortunately the prince was shuffled off shortly after with more coronation details to smooth out so, he was out of touch the rest of the afternoon. Seeing as Aang was leaving that day, the two bid their goodbyes when they parted ways at the council room doors.</p>
<p>It was a bit disappointing for Aang as it seemed time wasn't on their side this visit, but the coronation came first, and it was probably for the best anyways as the meetings had gone on for longer than Aang expected them to which only meant that he would have to leave soon if he wanted to make some headway towards the Earth Kingdom before sundown. The trip back would take nearly a week cautioning any weather over the Western seas.</p>
<p>Though, as direct as his intentions had been leaving the meeting to go straight to his room, gather his things and get Appa, he found himself taking a slight detour through a sea of gold that caught his eye. Truthfully, it hadn't been his thoughts about that morning that led him here but rather the memory of crystal blue eyes that held the depths of the oceans in them, a bit hopeful to run into her again before leaving.</p>
<p>But, as fate would have it, it wasn't that easy. She wasn't there.</p>
<p>He figured as much and that should've been his cue to continue on to his room, but he lingered, somewhat hopeful he would still catch a glimpse of her. In the meantime, however, his mind had begun to wander to the pressing issue that was the aforementioned meeting.</p>
<p>He had hoped to steer the conversation into a more pacifying end by voicing his reservation about sending soldiers to both of the tribes earlier that morning, but his input wasn't met with a promising response, and a warning look from Zuko to keep it unsuspecting of their suspicions made it that much harder to get his point across. Despite his attempt to shed light on Kuei's true nature, he was shut down rather quickly.</p>
<p>It was an aggravating situation considering keeping peace between the nations was in his job description and providing some insight on the matter was why he had been invited to the palace on Zuko's behalf in the first place, but the only impression he got that entire morning was that his opinion was debatable. Expendable even.</p>
<p>His thoughts manifested themselves into a frustrated sigh as he subconsciously twirled a lily on its stem. He looked at it as if it would provide an answer to this whole dilemma, but its petals only fluttered with the gentle breeze that came by.</p>
<p>"I don't know what to do," he confessed quietly. "They're making brash decisions, but they won't listen to me."</p>
<p>'<em>Why should they? Wasn't it because of your careless decision that an entire race was nearly wiped out?</em>' came a small voice from the back of his mind, filled with such bitterness that it made him frown. He tried to ignore it, but it got its intended reaction, feeling like a sucker punch straight to the stomach.</p>
<p>'I won't let it happen again,' was his steely reply. It came more as a reassurance for himself than anything else as he looked back down at the fire lily nestled between his fingers. It yielded to the breeze without any thought, so free in its movements that it looked as if it had a part in some unspoken dance with the wind. The sight almost made him smile – almost lifted his spirits slightly when that small voice came back, faint like a whisper but its words dripping with intention.</p>
<p>'<em>No,</em><strong>they</strong><em>won't let it happen again. You've already lost your chance.</em>'</p>
<p>Just as his eyes narrowed at that statement, he suddenly started, his thoughts scattering like parchment in the wind at the sound of giggling nearby. Unwittingly, the quick response caused him to pluck the flower off its stem as he pivoted on his heel, heart racing to what he could only hope wasn't the sight of the three girls that had seen him to his room the other day.</p>
<p>To his relief, they weren't. The two runners didn't even seem to notice him as they conversed between themselves, whispering conspiratorially with what he knew was probably work gossip. Soon enough, they were out of earshot and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. He gave one last glance around before turning in the opposite direction to head back to his room, knowing at this point he was just wasting his time if he waited around any longer.</p>
<p>Within a few minutes, he'd packed what little he brought and was on his way towards the stables. Normally Appa would be fine to stay outside on the palace grounds, but the hotter climate of the Fire Nation proved to only exasperate the sky bison's many thick layers of fur and he had yet to shed his winter coat this season. As Aang walked down the hallway, a faint chittering noise caught his attention and he turned in time to see Momo flying up towards him.</p>
<p>"There you are. I was hoping I wouldn't have to go looking for you again," He said, giving the lemur an affectionate pat on the head once he'd perched himself on Aang's shoulder. He sounded a response as if retelling a story and Aang chuckled. "Sounds like your day was a lot more fun than mine, buddy."</p>
<p>He continued down, politely avoiding the occasional servant he passed whilst taking notice of nothing in particular of the scarcely decorated corridor when something, or rather <em>someone</em>, caught his eye. Her profile was to him and she was too busy talking to notice him there, but that didn't stop his heart from speeding up once more at the sight of her.</p>
<p>As she moved her hands to emphasize whatever point she was making, his attention was quickly drawn elsewhere and he realized she wasn't wearing the simple robe from before but donned a more embellished one now, one that was red and fit with gold trimmings, and her hair was tied halfway up into a sleek bun. Taking it in, it was a far cry from the native attire he'd always seen her in, and the whole outfit looked rather official by Fire Nation standards.</p>
<p>He found it odd, but his focus didn't stay on her outfit long when she laughed at something that was said and his eyes were drawn back to her face. He was just happy fate had changed its mind in time and his lips curled up into an excited grin as he began walking over to her.</p>
<p>Katara, on the other hand, didn't share the same sentiment entirely when she caught sight of him, and her eyes widened. While her heart seemed to have a mind of its own beating just a little faster at the sight of him, she had been hoping he would've left already. She didn't care for the way his presence made her nerves feel like they were on end the other day. It wasn't the type of nervousness one felt when they were uncomfortable either, really that was the opposite of her problem. The swiftness in which she'd found herself content to count the specks of silver in his eyes is what unnerved her more than she'd care to admit.</p>
<p>Though, as the idea of walking away and simply pretending she hadn't seen him flitted through her mind briefly, she couldn't help but feel as though walking away would somehow be admitting that this boy from the iceberg caught her eye more than he should. And at this point, she wasn't sure if she wanted to do that.</p>
<p>'<em>Stop making this a bigger deal than it is,</em>' she reprimanded herself, acknowledging Aang with a small smile. The person she'd since been talking to had conveniently excused themselves already seeing his approach, leaving the two of them more or less alone in the low-trafficked hall.</p>
<p>"You know, if we keep running into each other like this, I may start to think it's fate," he said smoothly, his grin having simmered down to a lopsided smile.</p>
<p>She snorted lightly. "Careful, fate isn't what it seems sometimes." She spied the small sac at his hip. "I'm surprised to see you still here, I figured you would've left by now."</p>
<p>"I was supposed to but the meetings this morning took longer than anyone was expecting so I'm leaving a bit late. I'm actually on my way over to the stables to get Appa."</p>
<p>"Oh? Well, if you're in a hurry then I don't want to keep you."</p>
<p>"You're not," he said quickly seeing her move away slightly. "Honestly, I was hoping to see you before I left."</p>
<p>She looked at him in surprise, ignoring the way that simple statement and his demure smile made her heart skip a beat. "You were?"</p>
<p>He nodded. "I wanted to apologize about the other day, when I freaked out. I just never expected to see you here and it kind of caught me off guard."</p>
<p>"I guess that makes two of us." The irony in his statement made her lips twitch. "It's fine, don't worry about it."</p>
<p>"Well, I know you already have mixed feelings towards me, so I wanted to make sure you knew that I truly didn't mean anything by it."</p>
<p>'<em>Mixed feelings are a pretty good way to describe it right now</em>,' she thought wryly before the words sunk in more. "Wait, what makes you think I have mixed feelings towards you?"</p>
<p>"Sokka may have said something awhile back about it…" he trailed off seeing the frown forming on her lips.</p>
<p>While, to an extent, he wasn't wrong, she didn't always trust her brother's perception skills. "Look, I don't know what Sokka may have said to you about that, but odds are he's wrong." Looking at him a moment, she debated how much to divulge. She felt bad given his apology sounded genuinely contrite, and it wasn't like she hated him or anything.</p>
<p>With a sigh, she figured being honest with him wouldn't hurt. "It wasn't what I wanted, and yeah, it did hurt to see him leave, but at the end of the day it was still his choice to make and it may have just taken me some time to acknowledge that is all." After a thought, she shot him a pointed look. "I don't hate you for what happened if that's what you are implying."</p>
<p>He shook his head vigorously, his hands shooting up in front of him defensively. "No, no, I didn't think you <em>hated</em> me per say—" but with a hand up she halted his quick response.</p>
<p>"Well, I don't and it's not that I dislike you either. You just have to understand it from my side. Sokka has been there for me my entire life and after losing our mother, he was the one who kept me grounded. After he left for the week where he found you, it just hit me hard that I really didn't want to lose him too."</p>
<p>This time it was Aang's turn to sigh, releasing more as a long-held breath as he lowered his gaze. "And it was because of me that you did lose him." It wasn't so much a question than it was a statement, an underwhelming affirmation of some sense.</p>
<p>"You give yourself too much credit." She chuckled lightly, and her voice softened with a sadness that made his heart feel a little constricted. "I didn't lose him because of you. He left by his own accord. No matter how much I wanted him to stay, it was never my decision to make. But also, knowing that doesn't make the resentment I feel go away even if I know you don't deserve it."</p>
<p>"Still, I am sorry about what happened."</p>
<p>"It's fine," she quickly assured him with a small smile. "Honestly it's like you said, we haven't seen each other in a while and besides, I didn't exactly look like someone from my village so it's understandable that you wouldn't have recognized me right away. Don't beat yourself up over something that small."</p>
<p>Only, what she didn't know was that he had recognized her sooner than he let on, and that's partly why he felt so torn. Once he'd caught sight of those crystal blue eyes there was no denying who they belonged to, but yet, he tried to play it off as if they hadn't been the ones that occupied his thoughts ever since he first looked into them, thinking somehow that was the better end of his split decision in that moment<em>.</em></p>
<p>With an inward sigh, he knew there was no going back and changing what he did no matter how stupid it seemed now. "Yeah," he absently agreed with a bit of a strained smile. He frowned when Momo climbed down towards his sac and tried rustling through it for a snack, reminding him that he needed to leave soon if he didn't want Appa falling asleep midflight, <em>again</em>.</p>
<p>"Well, I guess I should get going," he said with a small sigh, not doing anything to hide the reluctance in his voice. His eyes lowered from hers as he gave her a small bow goodbye, one that was more of his native style than Fire Nation. "It was nice seeing you again, Katara. I hope we run into each other again soon."</p>
<p>Thanks to his bent posture, he didn't catch the way her gaze softened on him, nor the way her smile widened ever so slightly. There was something about his hesitation that made her chest feel a little tighter, and despite herself, she didn't say goodbye to him. She didn't bow either in return. Her words caught him off guard nearly as much as they did to her.</p>
<p>"Where did you say you were heading to?"</p>
<p>He straightened up and looked at her. "The stables. Are you heading that way too?"</p>
<p>"No, but I do know of a shortcut," she said, not even giving a second thought to her words anymore. "I could show you if you'd like. It'll save you some time instead of going through the North quarters."</p>
<p>He grinned. "Yeah, that would be great actually. Thank you."</p>
<p>His smile was so contagious that the corners of her mouth curled up as she gestured for him to follow. He obediently did so until they fell into step with each other, heading outside of the corridor and into a breezeway that ran alongside of the palace.</p>
<p><strong>"</strong>So, how did the meetings go this morning anyway?" She asked after they'd been walking a minute in silence, barely resisting the urge to glance over at him every few seconds as he kept pace beside her.</p>
<p>"They were fine," he replied lightly, not wanting to bore her with the tedious details they had gone over earlier that morning, but not able to resist the grimace that came to his face at the memory. "But I could've done without them."</p>
<p>She snorted, having seen the face he made too many times on Zuko's to count. "Trust me, you're not the only one. No one likes being held up in those rooms for hours on end with the Fire Lord and his lackeys." They rounded a corner.</p>
<p>"I don't doubt that, but that's not really why," he said. "It's hard to sit by and listen idly when the plans they are implementing could give off the wrong message and get people hurt. They say it's a defensive strategy, but it almost seems more like a statement of power than anything else."</p>
<p>"Even if it is flashy in its approach, isn't taking a defensive stance liable to protect more people no matter what?" She countered lightly. "Something <em>is</em> going to happen, to deny that would be to trust in an ill-informed reality, but regardless of how it's done, it's better to be safe than to have innocent blood spilled at the hands of a bad decision."</p>
<p>"Well, I agree. I guess it's just that I was taught by the monks that violence is never the answer for <em>any</em> problem." As he spoke his hands went to the top of his bald head and his fingers interlaced, a discontented look coming to his face as the latter part of her statement made his heart churn uncomfortably. "They always said conflicts need to be handled through persuasive conversation, to find a complacent middle ground instead of forcing one side to yield to the other. If you don't, more times than not resentment builds, and more problems come as a result later on."</p>
<p>Katara gave him a sideways glance. "It's a little naïve to assume that all problems can go away without some force involved though; words don't always have the power we think they do." She looked at him for a moment before humming sympathetically and looking away. "Besides, the fire lord likes action more than fancy words thrown around a table so good luck ever getting that notion across to him."</p>
<p>Aang sighed and grabbed at his neck tiredly. "Yeah, I've kind of gotten that message loud and clear."</p>
<p>Katara didn't respond to him, and he kept his gaze forward as they rounded another corner, both lost to thought. He hadn't noticed it since they were conversing, but the side of the palace they ended up on was rather quiet and he vaguely wondered at what point they'd begun walking through the stony arches that now lined their path.</p>
<p>Not one person was in sight save for the two of them, and shifting his gaze to look through the arches, his only clue as to where they were was a breathtaking view of the Fire Nation valley. The pointed tips of the buildings that littered the sunken land were shining like beacons in the hazy setting sun while the sky was painted a myriad of oranges and the beginnings of reds.</p>
<p>It was beautiful sight, but it wasn't hard to tear his eyes away from it as he looked to Katara, a thought coming to mind. "It's funny. Sokka never said anything about your guys' tribe doing business with the Fire Nation, and I've never seen you at any of these meetings either."</p>
<p>With a sideways glance, he tried to gauge her response as he asked, "is the unrest between the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom the reason you're here too?"</p>
<p>At first his question caught her off guard, her mouth opening to supply a quick response without adequately thinking it through, but she caught herself before any words had slipped out.</p>
<p>"Yeah, it is," she said after a calculative moment, nodding her head. Her voice was void of any emotion as she spoke, and she pointedly looked away from him. He waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't, and against his better judgement seeing the way she tensed at the question, he probed further.</p>
<p><strong>"</strong>Oh, I don't remember seeing you at any of the meetings this morning though, or even at dinner last night," he ventured carefully, pushing aside the nagging reminder that none of this was his business.</p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow at him briefly and flatly stated, "I wasn't."</p>
<p>He frowned. "I don't mean to pry, it's just that if you're acting as a representative of the Water Tribes then it seems like you should be hearing everything we talk about as well, right? Unless it's a more private matter that you can only discuss with Zuko?"</p>
<p>"I never said I was a representative," came her somewhat curt reply. She chose to ignore his second question and the way it made her feel a little sick to her stomach.</p>
<p>"But I thought you said you were here because—"</p>
<p>She interrupted him, her temper beginning to flare a little. "I know what I said, but that's not what I meant."</p>
<p>"Oh. What did you mean by it then?"</p>
<p>"Nothing."</p>
<p>"Nothing?" He stared at her dubiously. "It can't be nothing if you left your fiancé and came all the way from the North Pole to—"</p>
<p>She snapped at him suddenly. "Aang, STOP!"</p>
<p>They both had come to a stop and he just stared at her with wide eyes for a moment, the fierce look in her eyes sending a tidal wave of guilt rushing over him. He hadn't meant to push her this far. She took advantage of his silence to continue, reigning back her voice to a lower volume as she addressed him again.</p>
<p>"I don't see how it's any of your business why I am here, and frankly, I have other things to do around here that I wish I could get out of, but I can't. So, do me a favor and quit with the interrogation because it's getting on my nerves."</p>
<p>Though her words had a harsh undertone to them, her expression softened once they were out, and giving him a steady look, she sighed. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that, it's just that I'd rather not be here; it was never my choice so, I would appreciate it if you could lay off the questions, okay?"</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to upset you," he said, chiding himself for doing so. They eventually got to walking again though the silence felt like it was strangling him with every passing minute that neither of them spoke. Why couldn't he have just stopped talking when she answered him the first time? What was he supposed to say now?</p>
<p>As they walked, Katara kept glancing over at him, feeling somewhat bad as she could see the remorse written all over his face. She had every right to snap at him, interrogating her the way he did, but then again it wasn't entirely his fault for being suspicious of why she was here. It was a flimsy lie that she'd told him after all just so she could have the satisfaction of knowing there was someone who didn't know about the chains she felt binding her to this steel cage of a palace.</p>
<p>But now, seeing the sullen look on his face, she wasn't entirely sure it was worth it. The more she raked her eyes over his features, the more she hated the fact that she'd even done it. She moved her sight past him, looking out at the expanse of sky that seemed so close yet so far from where she stood.</p>
<p>After what felt like hours to him, though had only been a few long minutes, her voice brought him back to reality. "What was it like?"</p>
<p>He tore his gaze away from the cobbled ground where he had decidedly planted his eyes since he last spoke and blinked realizing she had slowed down and was no longer next to him anymore. She was a few feet behind him, and her stare was directed towards the painted scene across the Fire Nation valley. It was as if nothing had even transpired between them seeing her features so relaxed, the frustration she held before now only a memory in his mind.</p>
<p>Feeling his eyes on her, she shifted to meet them as she clarified her question. "When you were training at the air temples with the monks and the other airbenders. What was it like back then?"</p>
<p>Letting out a silent breath of relief at the change in conversation, he stopped walking as they came upon a clearing where the archways lead away from the palace and thoughtfully stroked his chin, content to let their tense moment melt away without any other mention of it if she was willing to do the same.</p>
<p>"Well, it was pretty boring at first," he said airily. The memories were getting easier to look back on as the years went by, but as sweet as they were, they never failed to leave a bitter trail behind. But, seeing the interest she held, he was willing to look past it as he continued.</p>
<p>"The monk's philosophy was that the mind is at the center of our being, and in order to control something as light and free-spirited as air, it was crucial to first remove all distractions and impurities from it. Anything that could act as a tether between you and the ground beneath your feet. That meant that we had to first master our minds before we could even attempt to airbend, which was the boring part because it meant hours of meditation. "</p>
<p>"Mastering your <em>mind</em>? That seems like a rather daunting task to give anyone let alone someone so young," she remarked as she leaned back against one of the pillars. He shrugged.</p>
<p>"It wasn't so bad. Some of the other kids struggled with it more than I did, but it was pretty easy for me," he said as a familiar feeling settled into his chest, something akin to longing but it still held a small sliver of hope in it. "One of the reasons we're told to remove everything undesirable from our thoughts is because by doing so, you are able to release yourself from the desires of this life, and you are better able to trust in what's unseen rather than this physical world.</p>
<p>"For me, I've never really had much stock in this world to begin with. The Southern Air Temple is the only home I've known after my parents left me there as a baby, and even though I was raised a monk, I've kind of always been a nomad by birth; someone who's destined to wander the skies with only a few things to keep him company because he's never needed much more than that."</p>
<p>"That sounds kind of…"</p>
<p>"Bleak?" He finished her thought with a smile, and she chuckled.</p>
<p>"Actually, I was going to say freeing, but in a way I guess it does sound kind of bleak."</p>
<p>"Well, it wasn't always like that. It was still fun hanging out with the other kids and using my downtime to prank the older monks, ironically I learned that much from my guardian, monk Gyatso." A warmth filled him at the mention of the long since departed monk and dear friend, and it reflected in his smile. "He was the one in charge of my training at the Southern Temple, and he could be pretty strict when he wanted to be, but he also had a devious side that made living there a blast."</p>
<p>As he recounted some of his fonder memories with the senior monk, he got excited and began moving his body around to enact them for the waterbender who looked on at him with an amused smile. He laughed nostalgically and as the scenes were played out in his mind, he wondered how they had ever gotten away with all the pranks they pulled, especially when he remembered the times they'd bent tarts over the balcony at them whilst they meditated.</p>
<p>But his laughter eventually died out as he came to rest against the pillar opposite of Katara, a more wistful smile being left on his face after a few minutes.</p>
<p>"He was one of my best friends," he explained with a glance to her. "He looked out for me and he was the closest thing I'd ever had to a father. The day before I left the temple he told me that 'It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways' and that battles are won or lost in it before they ever make it to the battlefield—" His jaw clenched at the memory of that day "—I think he told me that because he knew how I'd react when they told me I was the avatar..."</p>
<p>Trailing off distantly, he never realized just how much his actions that day would affect the monks at the temple let alone the whole world. Katara narrowed her gaze on him curiously as she studied his face.</p>
<p>After a silent moment she spoke up in the midst of his thoughts with a soft voice. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories for you," she said, her eyes glazing over him a moment more. "I've never met an airbender before you since they all vanished some time ago… I guess my curiosity got the better of me."</p>
<p>He felt his heart give an excited thump in his chest under her gaze, and he shook his head as a smile pulled at his lips. "Please don't be sorry. It means a lot to me when people take an interest in my culture." And it made him feel a bit lighter knowing that <em>she</em> was one of them, even considering her initial hesitation about him.</p>
<p>She didn't seem convinced despite his reassurance, so he pushed off the pillar and shot her a grin. "I'm serious. Look, I'm an open book so ask me anything you want to know! After all the things I asked earlier, it would honestly make me feel a bit better if you interrogated me too." His grin turned a bit sheepish as he shrugged one shoulder slightly.</p>
<p>Slowly, but surely, he watched as the hesitation faded away with the breath that she let out and a half-smile came to her face. "Only if you're sure you don't mind," she said. "I'm probably only the millionth girl wanting to know more about the Avatar." She smirked, teasingly.</p>
<p>A light laugh trickled from his lips. "I'm not sure if it's in the <em>millions</em> just yet, but I really don't mind talking with you," he said, his eyelids drooping into a half-lidded gaze as he looked at her. "You're not like the other girls I've met. Usually by now I'd either be running or pinned to the ground trying to stay alive long enough to find more air."</p>
<p>"Well, don't worry, that's <em>not</em> going to happen." She shook her head, snorting at the mental picture of it. No doubt those three girls from last night would've done so by now as they'd nearly done it to her simply by association. Though she can't really blame them for it given he did seem really sweet, and now that she'd gotten a better look at him standing so casually across from her, the definition in his lean physique wasn't hard to spot, nor his rather crisp jawline and—</p>
<p>Quickly realizing the digression in her thoughts, Katara shooed them away. '<em>Of course he's fit, he's the <strong>Avatar</strong>.</em>' She reminded herself, not willing to even address anything after that.</p>
<p>Aang quickly caught her attention again though as he gave a dramatic wince in response to her statement. "Ouch." He put a hand to his chest. "Is this what it feels like to be rejected?"</p>
<p>Seeing right through it though, she rolled her eyes as she laughed. "Oh please."</p>
<p>He smiled wide hearing her laugh. It reminded him of the little bells him and the other airbenders used to tie onto their bison's horns that despite their tiny structure, when enough of them were jingled together, their tune could echo against the neighboring mountain peaks. And, with the whistle of the wind wheedling its way through their brass slits, they created a sound like no other.</p>
<p>Her laughter seemed to attract the attention of someone else who had flown off on his own a while ago as he came swooping in to perch himself on her shoulder. The swift action caught her by surprise with a high-pitched squeak on her part, and Aang couldn't help chuckling. Katara blushed, frowning as she looked over at Momo. He looked back at her innocently and she found her annoyance at the scare quickly slipping away.</p>
<p>As much as she'd disliked the animal upon first glance, she couldn't deny that he was oddly adorable the way he had two dark patches encircling his eyes like he hadn't slept in years, and a tiny nose that twitched with every sniff. Despite herself, she reached up and stroked beneath his chin, the smooth motion eliciting something close to a purr as he leaned further into her hand, his eyes closing with pleasure.</p>
<p>Aang smiled. "Momo seems to like you."</p>
<p>"I can't imagine why," she said, giggling when the lemur nuzzled up against her cheek affectionately.</p>
<p>'<em>I could think of a few reasons</em>,' he thought. Clearing his throat lest he say something even more awkward than his sort of compliment the other day, he changed the topic. "You still haven't asked me anything."</p>
<p>She tapped her chin thoughtfully as Momo flew off her shoulder, humming all the while looking him over to figure out what she wanted to ask him. The scrutiny brought a faint heat to his cheeks, but it didn't have the chance to blossom.</p>
<p>Just as she'd opened her mouth to say something…</p>
<p>"Oh, there you are your highness!"</p>
<p>So much for that.</p>
<p>Aang's eyes flashed over to the woman briefly as he straightened himself up. He'd sensed her footsteps a bit ago, so her sudden appearance didn't startle him so much as it annoyed him of her timing. His glance however only lasted a moment on her as Katara didn't have the same luxury. She was a little more than startled and let out a squeak similar to before, nearly running into him after pushing away from the pillar she was leaning against. Seeing her movement though, he was quicker and was able to catch her by the arms to make sure she didn't trip and fall.</p>
<p>While it did give him a thrill knowing she'd taken his offer so seriously that she managed to be so caught off guard by something else besides him making a sound, he had a hard time stifling his chuckle seeing her reaction. Katara, on the other hand, wasn't so pleased with it as she forced herself to back away from him once she'd gotten her footing. She was sure her cheeks would melt off her face by how hot they felt.</p>
<p>The older woman blinked in slight confusion of how quickly the scene had played out before her and looked over at Aang before glancing between the two of them. To Aang it seemed as if she hadn't even known he was there before that.</p>
<p>"My apologies if I interrupted something between you and the Avatar," she finally said. Her voice was lacking the sincerity for the apology, but her gaze lingered a bit longer on him as though intrigued by his presence before moving back to Katara. "It's nearly time for your fitting and I decided not to wait until you made your appearance over an hour late like last time."</p>
<p>"You were not interrupting anything. I'll be there soon."</p>
<p>'<em>Fitting?</em>' Aang looked to Katara and she pointedly avoided his gaze.</p>
<p>"Actually, I'd prefer it if you would follow me back seeing as how I've already made the effort to find you." The woman gave Aang a sideways glance. "And I'm sure the avatar understands that the prince's fi—"</p>
<p>Katara's eyes widened and she panicked. "Okay, okay, I'm coming!"</p>
<p>His eyebrows shot up at her quick and somewhat loud interjection, and the woman looked rather surprised by it too. Katara paid no mind to her as she sighed, cursing beneath her breath that she'd chickened out of the truth. She would tell him, she decided, but somehow this felt too soon.</p>
<p>Aang watched as she stepped towards him, her expression seeming to reflect some of his own feelings about her being pulled away so suddenly. She pulled out a rolled-up parchment paper from the layers in her robe, tied closed with a crimson ribbon, and handed it to him.</p>
<p>"It's a letter for my brother," she said. "I forgot about it earlier, but I was hoping you could take it back with you."</p>
<p>Aang nodded and took it, but he kept his gaze on her while doing it. She smiled at him.</p>
<p>"Thank you for telling me about the temples," she said softly, glancing at the older woman still waiting on her before looking at him a bit nervously. "Maybe next time you can tell me more." Her smile widened slightly before she gave him a small bow and turned to follow the older woman away.</p>
<p>"Goodbye Katara," he said loud enough for her to hear and she looked back at him over her shoulder, giving him a small wave before the two women disappeared around the corner he had come around with her. He realized he liked the way her name rolled off his tongue just then.</p>
<p>He let himself fall back against the pillar still situated behind him as the hand that held her scroll fell limply to his side before he remembered it and placed it securely in his sash. He felt similar to the previous day when she brushed off his offer to stay and talk, like there was some part of himself that was leaving with her, but somehow it was worse now that he had actually talked with her.</p>
<p>He didn't contemplate it when a sound from behind him caused him to finally look around at where exactly they had stopped to converse, having not paid much attention to it with his focus on her, and he saw the stables were only a little further down the pathway. He continued down it, easily finding his sky bison who was more than happy to see him.</p>
<p>Aang laughed as Appa pushed him to the ground with his nose, nuzzling the boy with gentle force as if to say he'd been waiting far too long to see him. "I get it boy, I missed you too. Are you ready to go back?"</p>
<p>He tossed his sac into Appa's wooden saddle and airbent himself up to sit on his head. He glanced one last time in the direction he'd seen Katara last, a smile spreading across his lips. They'd actually been having fun before that woman showed up.</p>
<p>The more he thought about it, the more the conversation bothered him. He already felt like there was a missing link of sorts surrounding Katara being in the Fire Nation, but now he was even more confused. Feeling as though he should simply take the good for what it was, he forced his thoughts to the back of his mind.</p>
<p>"Appa, yip-yip!"</p>
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